which is made at the poynt of death and in extreamity is sildome true by reason of the great difficulty that happeneth at this time He prooueth this conclusion by foure reasons or arguments The first is by reason of the great perturbations which arise out of the greatnes of griefes sicknes and the presence of Death through which the hart is lesse able to lift vp it selfe to God and rightly to busie it selfe in the exercises of true repentance For the better vnderstanding of this argument we must know that all the perturbations of our hart haue great force to disturbe and hinder our will and sences and according to the rule of Philosophy in this effect and euent the affections or passions are much more powerfull which cause sorrow and sadnes then those that procure mirth and ioy Hence it is that the perturbations or affections of one dying are exceeding strong and of all other most powerfull For as Aristotle saith death is the most dreadfull of all terrible things there being so many dolours discruciatements in the body so many afflictions and anguishes in the soule so great sorrow and care for children wife the world all which are to be forsaken Amongst so many and so tempestuous winds of the passions where shall the sences be and where the cogitations but where these dolours and perturbations doe carry and whirle them Daily experience teacheth vs that if any one be tormented with the tooth-ach or by any other sharpe payne although he be a very godly and a religious man yet scarcely then can he stedfastly lift vp his hart to God nay all the sences thoughts haue recourse thither where the griefe is If this happeneth to the righteous what will he doe who neuer accustomed himselfe to thinke of God and who so much is readier to endanger his greater friend then his lesser by how much he is apter and proner to loue his body better then his soule Amongst the foure impediments of contemplation which S. Bernard doth reckon vp one is the euill disposition and temperature of the body For then the soule is so vrged and occupied with the dolours of the flesh that scarce it permitteth a man to thinke vpon any other thing besides that which then greeueth and excruciateth him Which if it be true what greater dotage or madnes can there be then to expect tarry and wayte for the worst disposition and temperature of the body in it to handle and deal with the greatest businesses of the soule I knew a certaine man who being at the poynt of death when he was willed and admonished to prepare himselfe for his end for the glasse of his life was now runned out he was so affrighted and ouerwhelmed with the presence of death that he thought vpon nothing els then how he might escape the danger of death as if the date of his life had beene put in his owne hands and he had the ordering and determining of it All his care was how he might remedy and auoyde this danger if possibly it might be But when the Minister saw him so little carefull and troubled with those things which were necessary for that time he admonished him that he should let passe such thoughts and begin earnestly to call vpon God The sicke man hardly taking this aâ—â—onition began to talke a farre off from the purpose and so yeeleded vp the ghost Notwithstanding this man had beene a louer of Vertue wherby thou mayst see how the presence of Death doth disturbe and disquiet them who are in loue with their lifes seeing that it so greatly troubled him who at other times had despised it I knew also another man who when hee had fallen into a most dangerous and greeuous sicknes and saw Death now at hand he earnestly desired to conferre a little with God and to preuent the Iudge by a deuoute prayer before hee should depart out of this life but sorrowes and the continuall accidents of his infirmity would let him haue no rest If therfore onely preparation to repentance bâ—so hard at that time who will be so fond and mad to defer and prorogue the remedy and repentance of his whole life to that moment The second reason of the Shoole-man is that true repentance ought to be voluntary that is it ought to be done willingly and not of constraint or compelled by necessitie Thys is that which Saint Augustine saith Let no man tarry so long as he can sin For God requireth the liberty of the vvill that thy faultes may be wiped away he requireth not necessity but charitie not onely feare because man liueth not onely in feare Therefore it behoueth him that lately repenteth not onely to feare the Iudge but to loue him because without charitie no man can be saued Wherefore that man that neuer truly repenteth himselfe in his life time but prorogeth it to the houre of death he seemeth not to bring forth repentance of will but of compulsion â—â—d if of constraint or necessity then it is not meerely voluntary Such was the repentance of Shimei for that offence which he had committed against Dauid when hee fled from the face of his sonne Absolon Which Shimei when he saw that the victory did incline to Dauid and considering of the mischiefe that hung ouer his head he descended with the men of Iuda to meete King Dauid and with the thousand men of Beniamin and prostrating himselfe before the King he craued pardon for his fault Which when Abishai heard he sayd Shall not Shimei die for this because he cursed the Lords annointed But holy king Dauid not ignorâ—â—â— of what small desert this repentance was for the time wisely dissembled the deede yet he would not that it should vtterly passe vnreuenged but when he was at deaths doore not for any desire of reuenge but in the zeale of iustice he commaunded his sonne that hee should not suffer it to goe vnreuenged who afterwards commanded him to be slaine Of this kinde and nature seemeth the repentance of many wicked Christians to be who when they haue perscuered all theyr lyfe thorow in sinne offending God when the houre of rendering an account shall draw neere when they see death approching and the graue open and the Iudge present when they shall vnderstand that no strength or power can be founde against that infinite power omnipotencie and that that shall be determined in that moment which is for euer irreuocable then they turne themselues vnto the Iudge with prayers and protestations which if they be true certainly they are profitable But the common euent teacheth what manner of prayers and protestations they were and are for we haue learned by experience that many of them hauing escaped this danger forthwith haue forgot all that they promised and as Swine haue returned to theyr wallowing in the myre yea they haue reuersed and recalled that good which then they purposed and haue againe embraced those
and placeth his seate and mansion in it Wherefore if thou comparest all the riches and honours of this world and all naturall graces with the beauty and riches of a iustified soule all will seeme most obscure and most vild in comparison of it For as great difference as there is betweene heauen and earth betweene a spirit and a body betweene eternity and momentary time so great difference also is there found betweene the life of grace and the life of nature betweene the beauty of the soule and the body betweene the inward riches and the outward betweene the spirituall strength and the naturall For all these are circumscribed within certaine limits they are temporall and appeare onelie beautifull to the corporall eyes to which a generall comming of God is sufficient but to the other a speciall perticuler and supernaturall comming is required Neither can they be called temporall when they bring vs to eternity neyther can they be called altogether finite because they bring the infinite God to vs in whose eyes they are so precious and of such valour that by theyr beauty they prouoke God to loue vs. Furthermore when as God could haue wrought all these things by his helpe and will he would not doe it but it pleased him to adorne the soule with infused vertues and with the gifts of his holy Spirit with which not onely the very Essence of the soule but also all her powers are clothed and adorned with these diuine habites To all these diuine benefits the eternall and infinite goodnes of God doth ioyne another that is the presence and ayde of the holy Ghost and so of all the most sacred Trinity which doth turne into a iustified soule and doth come that he may dwell in her that he may teach her how to vse rightly so great riches as a good father who not content to haue giuen riches to his sonne but doth giue him also a Tutor who well knoweth how to dispose bestow them Insomuch that euen as Vipers Dragons and Serpents doe dwel in the soule of a sinner which are a multitude of ill malignant spirits who chose their habitation and abiding in such a soule as our Sauior saith in Mathew so on the cōtrary part the holy Spirit with the whole blessed Trinity doth enter into a iustified soule casting out al monsters and infernall beasts doth consecrate it for a Temple vnto himselfe and doth place his seate there as the Lord expresly testifieth in the Gospel saying If any man loueth me he will keepe my sayings my Father will loue him and we will come vnto him and will dwell with him By the vertue of these words all the Doctors as wel Ecclesiasticall as Schoolemen confesse that the holy Ghost himselfe by a certaine speciall peculier meanes doth dwel in a iustified soule distinguishing betweene the holy Ghost his gifts saying moreouer not only these gifts to be giuen of the holy ghost but also the holy Ghost to giue himselfe who entring into this soule doth make it his Temple habitation placing his seate in it Therfore he doth purge and sanctifie it doth adorne it with his gifts that it may be an In worthy of such a guest These benefits afore-sayd doe not suffice vnlesse that admirable one come to which is that all the iustified are made the liuely members of our Sauiour which before were dead members for they did not receaue and take their influences from the head Christ. Hence others and those very great prerogatiues and dignities doe proceede for hence it is that the sonne of God loueth them as his owne members and hath no lesser care of them then of himselfe he is no lesse carefull for them then for his owne members without intermission hee poureth his vertue and grace vpon them as the head vpon his members to be briefe the eternall Father doth behold them with fauourable eyes no otherwise then the liuely members of his onely begotten Sonne vnited and incorporated with him by the participation of his spirit Of the same dignity it proceedeth that when those that are iustified doe aske for fauour and grace of God they aske it with great confidence for they know that they doe aske it not onely for themselues but also for the sonne of God himselfe who is honoured in them and with them For seeing that it may not be denied but that which the members doe the head also doth the same it followeth that seeing Christ is their head when they aske any thing for themselues they aske it also for him For if it be true that they as sayth the Apostle who offend against the members of Christ doe offend against Christ himselfe and if Christ doth say that he suffereth persecution when his members doe suffer persecution as he sayde to his Apostle persecuting his Church why doest thou meruaile my brother if I say that when the members are honoured that then Christ himselfe is also honoured Which seeing that it is so how great confidence will a righteous man haue in his prayer when he considereth that desiring fauour and grace for himselfe after a certaine manner he also desireth the same of the eternall Father for his best beloued sonne Is it not true that when fauour is done to any man for the loue of an other that it is done principally for him for whose loue it is done For wee beleeue that he that showeth mercy to a poore man for Gods sake that he not onely doth shew it to the poore man but also to God himselfe Neyther heere yet is an end of the heauenly benefits for to all these benefits afore-sayd this as last is ioyned to which all the other are appoynted and ordayned that is the right and possession of eternall life which is giuen to the iustified For as that our infinite and vnmeasurable Lord in whom together shineth all iustice and mercy adiudgeth to euerlasting payne those that doe not repent so hee taketh to eternall life all those that truly repent And when as he could haue pardoned man of all his sinnes and receaued him into his friendship and fauor with communion and participation of his glory yet he would not doe it but those to whom for his mercies sake he remitteth sinnes he also iustifieth whom he iustifieth those he maketh his sonnes whom he maketh his sonnes those also he maketh heires and pertakers of his celestiall inheritance together with his onely begotten sonne Hence ariseth that liuely hope which maketh the iustified merry and glad in all tribulation by reason of the pledge and earnest of this infinite treasure For although they see themselues brought into straights to be afflicted with infirmities to be oppressed with the miseries of this life yet they know that the afflictions of this present time are not worthy of the glory which shall be shewed vnto them And also they know that this light affliction which is but
them in thy minde by little and little thou shalt feele this feare wrought in thee ¶ Of the workes of the Diuine iustice whereof mention is made in the holy Scripture THE first worke of the Diuine iustice which the holy Scripture remembreth is the damnation of Angels The beginning of the wayes of the Lord was that terrible bloudy beast the Prince of deuils as it is written in the booke of Iob. For seeing that all the waies of the Lord are mercy and iustice vntill this first sinne the iustice of GOD was not yet reuealed which was hid in the bosome of the Lord as a sword in a scabberd This first sinne was the cause why this sword was vnsheathed Consider now how grieuous and terrible this first plague and punishment was lift vp thine eyes and thou shalt behold wonderfull things thou shalt see I say the most precious iewel of the house of God thou shalt see the chiefest beauty of heauen thou shalt see that Image in which the Diuine beauty shyned so cleerly this I say thou shalt see falling from heauen like an arrow and that for the onely thought of pride The Prince of all the Angels is made the Prince of deuils of most beautifull he is made most horrible and deformed of most glorious he is made most vilde and disgracious of one most acceptable gracious of all those creatures which God had made or euer would make he is made the greatest the most malicious enemie What astonishment thinkest thou and what admiration was this to the heauenly Spirits who know from whence and whether this so noble a creature fell With what feare did they all pronounce that of Esay Howe art thou fallen from heauen ô Lucifer sonne of the Morning Descend afterward a little lower to the earthly Paradice and there thou shalt see a case no lesse feareful vnlesse there had been a remedy vsed for this mischiefe For that the Angels should fall it was needfull that they all should actually offend But what hath the creature which is borne actually offended in why he should be borne the child of wrath It is not needfull that he should haue actuall sinne it sufficeth onely that he be borne of that man that had offended and by offending had corrupted the common roote of all mankind which was in him this I say is sufficient why he is borne in sinne The glory and Maiesty of God is so great that when as one onely creature had offended him the whole kinde deserued so seuerely to be punished For if it was not sufficient to Haman that great friend of King Assuerus that he might reuenge himselfe of Mardocheus of whom he supposed that he had receaued an iniury not only to punish Mardocheus but for the greatnes of his honour to cut off the whole nation of the Iewes for the deniall as he iudged of a small reuerence why doest thou meruaile if the glory and maiesty of God which is infinite requireth like punishment Behold therfore the first man is banished out of Paradice for a bit of an apple for which euen to this day the whole world is punished And after so many thousand yeares the sonne that is borne bringeth with him out of his mothers wombe the staine and blemish of his father and not when he can offend himselfe by reason of age but in his very natiuity he is borne the child of wrath and that as I haue sayd after so many thousand yeares After so long time this iniury could not be buried in obliuion being deuided among so many thousand thousands of men and punished with so many scourges Yea all the torments which men haue suffered from the beginning of the world to this day all the deaths which they haue vndergone and all the soules which burne and shall burne in hell euerlastingly are sparks which haue originally proceeded from that first sinne all which are arguments and testimonies of the Diuine iustice And all these things are also done and brought vpon vs after the redemption of mankind wrought and made by the blood of our Sauiour Iesus Christ Which remedy if it had not beene wrought there had been no difference betweene men and deuils for of themselues there had beene as little remedy and hope of saluation to the one as to the other What doest thou think of this punishment I thinke that it is a reasonable sound argument of the Diuine iustice But because this heauy and greeuous yoke is not taken away from the sonnes of Adam new and moe kinds of punishments haue sprung from it for other sinnes which haue beene deriued from that first All the world was drowned with the waters of the deluge The Lord rayned from heauen fire and brimstone vpon those fiue polluted and sinfull Citties The earth swallowed vp Dathan and Abiron aliue for a certaine contention that was betweene them and Moses A fire went out from the Lord and deuoured the two sonnes of Aaron Nadab and Abihu because they had not obserued the right and due ceremonies in the sacrifice neyther did the dignity of their priesthood profit them any thing nor the holines of their father nor that familiarity which theyr Vncle Moses had with the Lord. Ananias and Saphira in the new Testament because they lyed vnto S. Peter which seemed to be but a small matter fell downe dead and sodainly yeelded vp the ghost But what shall we say of the hidden and secret iudgements of God Salomon who was the wisest of all men and whom God so tenderly loued that he was sayd to be the Lords beloued by the hidden and secret iudgement of God came to that extreame abhomination and that most abhominable sinne that he fell into Idolatry What is more fearefull then this But if thou shouldest know of moe iudgements of this kinde which daily happen in the Church perhaps thou wouldest no lesse feare these then thou dreadest that Because thou shouldest see many starres falling from heauen to the earth thou shouldest see many who did eate the bread of Angels vpon the Lords table to fall and slip into such calamities that they rather desire to fill their bellies with the drasse and swash of Swine thou shouldest see many whose chastity was purer and more beautifull then a Porphirite to be blacker then a cole The causes of whose lapse were their sinnes But what greater signe of the Diuine iustice canst thou desire thē that God for the iniury done vnto him wold not be satisfied but with the death of his onely begotten sonne before he would receaue the world to his fauour What manner of words I pray thee were they which the Lord spake to the women which followed him lamenting and bewayling Daughters of Ierusalem weepe not for me but weepe for your selues and for your children For behold the dayes will come when men shall say Blessed are the barren and the wombs that neuer bare and the paps
whole matter dependeth For we must know that although the Diuine mercy extendeth to the iust and vniust calling these and expecting their repentance and preseruing the other neuerthelesse the great graces the notable benefits which God promiseth to men in the Scriptures especially belong to the righteous who as they faythfully obserue the law and commandements of God so faithfully God keepeth them he keepeth his promises with them and he is a true father vnto them as they are his morigerous and obedient sonnes On the contrary part whatsoeuer threatnings curses and seuerity of Diuine iustice the holy bookes of the Bible contayne all that properly pertayneth to thee and to such like vnto thee How great therfore is thy blindnes and blockishnes who fearest not so great cominations purposely intended against thee and comfortest thy selfe with promises not made for thee O miserable man haue an eye to those things that are spoken of thee and giue to the iust that is theirs Wrath belongeth to thee therfore feare but loue to the righteous let them therfore reioyce and be glad Wilt thou that I shall proue this to be true heare what Dauid sayth The eyes of the Lord are vpon the righteous and his eares open to their prayers But the face of the Lord is against them that worke euill to roote their memory from off the face of the earth Such a like speach is found in Esdras The hand of our God sayth Esdras that is the Diuine prouidence is ouer all that seeke him in truth and his wrath strength and fury ouer them who forsake him Which seeing that it is so why ô wretched man doest thou continue in thy sinne vvhy doest thou deceaue thy selfe vvhy art thou so dull vvhy errest thou thus These testimonies of Scripture are not for thee so long as thou remaynest in the state of damnation the sweetnes of the Diuine fauour and loue speaketh not to thee This is the portion of Iacob it belongeth not to Esau. This is the lot of the righteous thou who art wicked what right hast thou here Leaue of to be wicked and it shall be thine forsake thine vngodly life and the loue of God and his fatherly prouidence shall protect thee and cherrish thee Which if thou doest not thou art a tyrant and doest vsurpe the rights of other men Hope in the Lord sayth Dauid and doe good And in another place Offer the sacrifices of righteousnes and trust in the Lord. This is the best manner of hoping doe not further abuse the mercy of God in perseuering in thy sinnes and in hoping that thou shalt come to heauen It is the best hope to flye sinne and to call vpon God but if thou continuest in thy sinnes this is not to hope but to presume this is not to hope for mercy but it is to doe an euill deed and to offend that mercy For euen as the Church doth profit them nothing who depart from it that they may doe wickedly so also it is meete that the mercy of God should not profit them who continue in their sinnes This before all things the dispencers and Preachers of Gods word ought to consider who oftentimes not marking before whom they make their Sermons minister occasion to the wicked to continue and perseuere in their sinnes They should respect that euen as a sicke and a diseased body the more it eateth the greater harme it taketh so also a soule hardened in sinne the more that it deceaueth it selfe with this kinde of trust the more it is hardened and moued to perseuere in sinne In stead of a conclusion that excellent sentence of S. Augustine shall be By hoping and despairing men perish By hoping naughtily in their lifes but by despairing worser in their deaths Therfore cease my brother and forsake this presumptuous hope remember that as the Lord is mercifull so also he i◠iust Therfore as thou castest one eye vpon mercy that thou mayest hope so cast the other vpon iustice that thou mayest feare For as S. Bernard sayth God hath two feete mercy and iudgement we ought to apprehend neyther of them alone or seuerally for iustice without mercy doth not so make to feare as mercy without iustice doth make men continue and perseuere in a wicked life Against them that excuse themselues saying that the way of Vertue is rough sharpe and difficult CHAP XXVIII WOrldly and carnall men are wont also to bring another excuse that they may seeme not without cause to haue left and eschewd Vertue and Religion saying that it is rough and difficult albeit they are not ignorant that this difficulty ariseth not from vertue her selfe for she is a friend vnto reason and very well agreeth with the nature of a reasonable creature but from the euill inclination of our flesh and our wicked appetities which taketh the originall from sinne Hence it is that the Apostle sayth that the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and that these two doe striue between themselues And in another place he sayth I delight in the law of God concerning the inner man But I see another law in my members rebelling against the law of my minde and leading me captiue vnto the law of sinne which is in my members By which words the Apostle meaneth that the law of God and Vertue doe very well agree with the superiour part of our soule which altogether is spirituall in which the vnderstanding and the will is but her watch and warines is hindered by the law of the members and this happeneth of the euill inclination corruption of our appetites and the passions arising from them which are aduersaries to the superiour part of the soule and to God himselfe which discord contrariety is the cause of all this difficulty For this cause many alienate themselues from Vertue albeit otherwise they highly account of it as also sicke men doe who although they desire health yet they abstayne from and abhor medicines because they suppose them to be bitter and of euill tast Wherefore if we take this errour and opinion from men I take it that we shall performe a thing not to be repented of for this is the onely stay and let that hindereth them from Vertue besides this difficulty there is nothing in Vertue which is not greatly and especially to be desired and affected ¶ How the grace giuen vs by Christ doth make the way of Vertue easie and pleasant FIrst of all in this place we must know that the chiefest cause of this errour is that men onely looke vpon this small difficulty which is found in Vertue and lift not vp theyr eyes to those Diuine helps which God sendeth to ouercome it The errour of the seruant of Elizeus was of this kinde who seeing the army of the Syrians compassing the Citty and Horses and Charets begirding the house of the Prophet saw not the army of the Lord prepared
man page 55 What mischiefe sinnes worke to the soule ibidem The beauty of a iustified soule page 56 By iustification God dwelleth in vs page 57 Iustification doth make vs the liuely members of Christ ibidem Confidence in prayer page 58 Christ is honoured when a righteous man is honoured ibid. By iustification eternall life is giuen ibidem Iustification is of greater value then creation 59 How to know whether we be iustified or not ibidem Of many effects which the holy Ghost worketh in a iustified soule 60 Graces wayting vpon the holy Ghost ibidem After what manner the holy Ghost sitteth in the soule of a righteous man and what he doth there ibidem The holy Ghost is fire a doue a cloud a wind ibidem page 61. The sixt Chapter The sixt Title That the inestimable benefit of the Diuine predestination doth bind vs vnto Vertue page 63. The matters handled in this Chapter Election is the foundation of all benefits page 64. Perseuerance in goodnes is a signe of election ibidem The circumstances in election are to be considered page 65. An Apostrophe to a begger but elected page 67. The seauenth Chapter The seauenth Title That man is bound to follow and embrace Vertue by reason of the first of those foure last things which happen vnto him which is death page 69. The matters handled in this Chapter A rehearsal of the foure last things that happen vnto man to wit Death Iudgement Heauen and Hell Ibidem A terrible and fearefull history out of Climacus 70 Death certaine but the houre of death vncertaine 71 Th◠danger in which he that dieth is 74 Feare the mightiest perturbation of the mind 75 The Sunne goeth downe at noone to the wicked ibidem The things that before seemed pleasant in death are bitter ibidem The accout that shall be required of vs. 76. The history of Arsenius out of the life 's of the Fathers 77 The history of Agathon out of the same booke ibidem A fearefull example of one Stephanus that led a solitary life out of Climacus ibidem Why the Saints doe feare in death 79. Nothing is of force in the houre of death 80 The lamentation of a sinner at the houre of death page 81 The eight Chapter The eyght Title That man is bound to desire Vertue by reason of that second last thing that happeneth vnto him which is the last iudgement page 82 The matters handled in this Chapter The shame of sinners in the last iudgement page 84 How fearefull the sentence of the Iudge is ibidem The paines of the damned 85 The blasphemies of the damned ibidem For what sinnes men are damned 88 Certaine excellent comparisons that agrauate the paines of the damned and the terrour of the last iudgement page 90 Repentance too late ibidem Our accusers in the last iudgement ibidem The ninth Chapter The ninth Title That man is bound to the exercise of Vertue by reason of the third last thing that happeneth vnto him which is the glory of heauen page 91 The matters handled in this Chapter What things are handled in this Chapter to wit the reward of the vertuous which is the glory of heauen in which two things are to be looked vnto the beauty of the place and the dignity of the King ibidem The beauty of heauen is gathered by coniectures ibidem The first coniecture is from the end why heauen was made 92 The second coniecture that it was not onely made for Gods honour but also for the honour of his elect page 93. The thyrd coniecture the price by which it was purchased by the death of God page 95 The fourth coniecture the situation and height of the place 97 The fift coniecture the proportion of the three kinde of places 98. The sixt coniecture the inhabitants dwelling in heauen 99 The power of the Lord. page 92 Reasons why Heauen should be absolute and perfect 93 All things obey the righteous euen in this world ibid. Christ gaue more to his Saints then he vsed himselfe page 94 The price that must be giuen for the celestiall glory 95 The quantitie and quality of the glory of heauen is argued by the greatnes of the place page 97 The beauty of the earth ibidem Three kind of places appointed to men of God 98 From the noblenes of the inhabitants wee may gesse of the glory of heauen page 99 Essentiall glory ibidem God is the perfection of all things 100 God is all in all ibidem The mistery of Circumcision 101 All things are to be suffered for the heauenly glory 102 The tenth Chapter The tenth Title That the last of those foure last things that happen vnto vs that is Hell-fire doth binde vs to seeke after Vertue 104 The matters handled in this Chapter There are but two wayes ibidem The greatnes of the punishment in hell by reason of the greatnes of God page 105. The greatnes of the iustice of God 107 The greatnes of the punishmens of hell is gathered by the punishments of thys lyfe ibidem Of the mercy of God the greatnes of the punishment is gathered 108 The two commings of Christ compared 109 The punishment ought to be like to the sinne page 111 From the person of the executioner that is of the deuill the greatnesse of the punishment is gathered page 112 A fearefull and horrible example of one Theodorus out of S. Gregories Dialogues ibidem A description of the deuils power page 114 The Conclusion page 115 Of the eternity of these punishments 116 A fearefull saying of the eternity of the punishments in hell ibid. A notable Allegory of the Furnace which King Nabuchodonozer commaunded to be heate in Babilon 118 ¶ The second part of the first booke In this second part are handle◠the temporal and spirituall blessings which in this lyfe are promised to Vertue and more particularly the twelue more notable and famous priuiledges prerogatiues which are found in Vertue page 120 The Chapters of the second part of the first booke The eleuenth Chapter The eleuenth Title That we are bounde vnto Vertue by reason of the inestimable blessings which are promised in this present life ibid. The matters handled in this Chapter It is a wonder that among Christians so many men are found wicked and vicious ibidem Whence this negligence of men is page 121 All things happen a like to the good and euill ibidem Men are ignorant of those good things that are in Vertue page 123 Vertue like vnto Christ. ibidem Helpes of God by which we ouercome the difficulty of Vertue 124 Vertue is an habite ibidem A comparison of the life of good men and ill men 125 Diuine blandishments with which the righteous are cherished 126 Good men are truly rich 127 All thys afore-sayd is explaned by a notable sentence of the Gospel ibid. What Christ meaneth by the hundreth fold in the tenth of Marke 128 What goods be those that God bestoweth vpon the good ibidem To the
his life These therefore sufficiently prooue that saying of the Wiseman to be true Remember thy end and thou shalt neuer doe amisse Goe to therefore if this consideration doth so surely draw a man from sinne let vs carefully runne ouer those things which are wont to be spoken of death that we may obtaine that excellent and notable good Remember therfore my brother that thou art a Christian and a man because thou art a man it is certaine that thou must die because thou art a Christian it is certaine that thou must giue an account of thy lyfe after that thou art dead Heere the fayth that we hold and professe excludeth all doubt and thus the experience teacheth vs vvhich we daily see before our eyes So that no man is free from thys cup but all must drinke of it whether he be Emperour King or whatsoeuer he be That day sometime will be when as thou shalt liue in the morning but shalt not lyue at night That day at the length wil come but when it will be whether to day or to morrowe it is altogether vncertaine in the which thou thy selfe who novve readest these things which we write beeing strong and lustie measuring thy life with longnes of desires and thy dayes vvith multitude of businesses thou shalt see thy selfe lying in a bedde expecting the blow and sentence of fearefull death spred ouer all mankinde from which no man can appeale to any other Iudge But most of all we must consider how vncertaine that houre is for that is wont to come for the most part when it is least looked for and when as man is secure in all things doth least thinke of it but beeing busied and earnest about the businesse and necessities of this life doth cast with himselfe to lyue and ouer-passe many dayes For which cause it is sayde that it commeth like a theese in the night who is wont then to come when as men doe soundly sleepe and beeing secure doe thinke of nothing lesse then of the theft so neerly hanging ouer them Before death come great and grieuous infirmities goe before which are to be considered with all their accidents griefes vexations molestations loathings decocted syrrups fumigations pills gargarismes and other medicines and also of the long nights which at thys time bring much teadiousnesse and wearinesse For euen as he that would conquer a Castle at the first doth make way to the ruine with his greater shot after he doth assault inuade and possesse it so before death great infirmitie is sent which doth so vanquish and breake the naturall strength that it giueth no rest to man whether it be by day or by night but without intermission shaketh and wringeth all the chiefe members of the body so that the soule can no longger defend her Castle neither can any longer be preserued in it wherefore the relinquisheth the body hauing escaped flyeth out of it and goeth to another place But when as the infirmitie doth draw to that passe that eyther the sicke partie or the Phisition beginneth to doubt despaire of lyfe good God what streights what oppressings what griefes doe then crush teare the miserable hart For then the whole race and processe of thy precedent life dooth come inâ—o thy minde then is it represented vnto thee that thou must leaue all those things which heere thou so deerly louest vvife chyldren friends parents riches honours titles offices and other things which leaue off to be and take end with thy lyfe After these things those last accidents grow on which are ioyned with death it selfe which are much greater then these going before The forehead waxeth hard the skinne is stretched out from whence cold sweat breaketh foorth the eyes vvaxe dimme sayle and are writhen about with intollerable payne the eares grow deafe the nose doth sincke downe the nosthrils are filled with filth the countenaunce waxeth pale the mouth is disturbed the tongue is vnmoueable and ceaseth to doe his dutie any more the tast perrisheth the lipps waxe blewe and wanne the breath gathering it selfe from the bottome of the breast faileth the hands waxe cold the nayles waxe black the pulse languisheth and is very little but very thicke sometime it ceaseth and sometimes striketh softly the feete die and loose theyr naturall heate What neede I many wordes all the flesh is turned to corruption and all the members and all the sences are disturbed troubled by reason of theyr too hastie seperation After thys maner a man must at his departure out of thys life recompence the labors and sorrowes of those by whom he entred into thys world bearing those griefes at his end which his mother bare when shee brought him forth And so the proportion of mans departure and entrance into this world is notable for both is full of sorrowes his ingresse hath the sorrowes of another his egresse his owne Whilst man is tost in this straight sodainly the agony of death is at hand the ende of life is presented to the memorie the horrour also of the graue and the infelicity of his body which straightwayes is to be meate for wormes but especially the soule is plunged which as yet remayneth in the body but after an houre or two being seperated from the body it knoweth not what entertainement or dwelling place it shall haue Then thou wilt thinke that the iudgement of God is present at hand then thou shalt see before thee all thy sinnes which will accuse thee before the iudgement seate of the Diuine iustice then thou at the length too late wilt acknowledge how filthie the crimes were which thou so easily didst commit then with many cursings and execrations thou wilt banne that day in which thou didst offend thou wilt bitterly curse the pleasures and delights which moued thee with their enticements to sinne In that houre thou canst not sufficiently wonder at thy selfe and thy lenity who for things so vaine and of no moment as those were which thou wast wont to loue with so inordinate loue hast cast thy selfe in danger to suffer so intollerable paines of the which in that most sorrowfull houre thou shalt make no small experiment For the pleasures passing away the iudgment of them approching that which before of it selfe was but little and now ceaseth to be shall seeme to be nothing but that which is great of it selfe and present at hand thou shalt suppose that it is greater then it is because at the length thou shalt manifestly know it with all the circumstances When as therefore thou shalt see that for matters so vaine and light I will not say filthy thou hast depriued thy selfe of so great blessings and casting thy eyes heere and there thou shalt see thy selfe on euery side compassed about with griefes and tribulations because longer thou canst not liue and for repentance there is neyther place nor time the number of thy dayes are come to an end they cannot helpe thee whom
shall be moe and greater offences of men For the mercie of GOD had not any thing that might prouoke it or desire it seeing there was nothing in mans nature that might deserue it but the Diuine iustice shal haue so many pricks motiues and pullers on for reuengement as there hath been sinnes committed in thys world ánd of these sufficient coniectures may bee taken how great and howe terrible the Diuine iustice will be This thing Saint Bernard excellently declareth in a certaine sermon of the Natiuitie of our Lord Looke how milde gentle he was saith he in his first comming so hard and inexorable will he be in his second and as now there is no man that may not be reconciled so after a short time there shal be no man that may Because as the gentlenes and benignitie appeared beyond all hope and esteeme so we must expect the sharpnes and seueritie of the iudgement to be God is vnmeasurable infinite in iustice as he is in mercy great to pardon great to punish but mercy doth challenge the first place that if we will iustice might not be found vpon whom it should be extended This sayth Bernard By thys it sufficiently appeareth how that by the mercie of God the quantitie of his iustice may be gathered The diuine Psalmographer doth most excellently shew thē both This is our God sayth he euen the GOD that saueth vs and to the Lord God belong the issues of death Sure God wil wound the head of his enemies the hearie pate of him that walketh in his sinnes Thou seest by these my brother that the Lorde is as seuere to his enemies and to those that rebell against him as he is kinde and mercifull to his friends The same thing the Diuine pacience doth most plainly teach which hee vseth as well towards the whole world as towards all sorts of men good and euill For we see many men so disordered and dissolute and of so reprobate a life that from the first time that they begin to open theyr eyes of reason euen to the last day of theyr life doe consume and spend the greater part of theyr life in offending God and contemning his diuine commaundements hauing neither respect nor regard of the promises threatnings benefits or coūsels of God or of any other thing Neuerthelesse in al the time of theyr life the great goodnes of God wayteth for them wyth great patience not cutting off the thred of theyr life not ceasing to call them by many wayes to repentance although he see no token of amendement in them But when that long patience shal come to an end if he shal poure vpon them the store-house of his wrath whom so many yeeres by little and little he hath beene gathering into the bosome of his iustice with what force with what violence thinkest thou that they shal be ouerwhelmed What other thing would the Apostle signifie when he said Despisest thou the riches of his bountifulnesse and patience long sufferance not knowing that the bountifulnesse of GOD leadeth thee to repentance But thou after thine hardnesse and hart that cannot repent heapest vnto thy selfe wrath against the day of vvrath of the declaration of the iust iudgement of God Who will reward euerie man according to his workes What is it that he sayth thou heapest wrath vnto thy selfe but that hee may signifie that as one gathering a treasurie doth daily adde a penny to a penny doth heape riches to riches for so the masse dooth increase so the Lord doth euery day enlarge the heape of his wrath as the wicked man by his ill actions dooth increase accounts to be rendered for them Tell mee I pray thee if any man in gathering treasure should so closely and diligently sticke to it that neyther any day or houre should passe in which hee woulde not adde somewhat to it and that by the space of fiftie or sixtie yeeres if at any time afterwards he should vnlock his doore enter into his treasure house what great store of treasure should he finde there O vnhappy man doost thou not marke that neyther day nor houre passeth in which thou doost not augment the heape of Gods wrath which is reserued for thy destruction that is increased and augmented by euery sinne that thou committest For although there were no other thing but the dishonest looke of thine eyes the impure thought or vncleane desire and the hatred of thine hart the word and periurie of thy mouth these were enough alone to fill the whole world But if to these all thy other vices sinnes be ioyned meditate I pray thee what an vnmeasurable masse of the wrath of GOD thou hast heaped to thy selfe by the space of so many yeares If the ingratitude and maliciousnes of peruerse men be well searched into they will shewe vnto vs the greatnesse of the Diuine punishments That thys is true consider the goodnesse and liberalitie of GOD towards men consider moreouer that which he dyd and sayd in thys world with that which he suffered for them all Consider also the commodities and necessaries for the vse of men prepared of hym that they might liue well and all other things that he hath pardoned vnto sinners or winked at how many blessings he hath bestowed vpon them and from hovve many euils he hath deliuered them and many other kind of fauours and benefits which daily he bestoweth vpon them All these things increase and multiply the heape of Gods vvrath Moreouer call to thy minde the forgetfulnesse and negligence of men towards God and also theyr ingratitude and rebellion lastly their blasphemies and contempt as well of God himselfe as of his commaundements which are so great that not onely they looke for no gaine or profit of theyr sinning but oftentimes of onely maliciousnes they tread foolishly all that vnder theyr feete which the Lord hath commaunded He therefore that without any reuerence or shamefastnes despiseth so great a Maiestie no otherwise then if he were some Figge-tree God who so often as Paule speaketh hath troden vnder-foote the son of God and hath counted the blood of the Testament as an vnholie thing wherewith he was sanctified he that so often hath crucified him with his works worse then the works of Pagans what other thing is to be looked for of him when the houre of rendering an account shall come then that he giue the honour to God or suffer so much punishment as he hath iniured God For seeing that GOD is a iust Iudge it is his duety to bevvare that the punishments be not lesse then the iniuries done but that they be like to the sinne of him who hath beene iniurious In thys case if it be God to whom the iniurie is doone vvhat sentence shall be pronounced against the body and soule of the condemned that the iniury doone may bee recompenced by worthy punishment But if in the satisfaction of the offence done to God the
must note heere that labour is not excluded for man must also labour and doe that lyeth in him according to the quality of his estate and condition ¶ Of the scarsitie and pouerty of the wicked BVt if any man on the contrary part would know how great the aduersities calamities and pouerties of the wicked be let him reade the eight and twenty Chapter of Deuteronomie and there he shall finde those things that both will make him wonder and tremble Amongst many other things thus speaketh the Scripture But if thou will not harken vnto the voyce of the Lord thy God to keepe and to doe all his commaundements and his ordinances which I commaund thee this day all these curses shall come vpon thee and ouertake thee Cursed shalt thou be in the Citty and cursed in the field Cursed shall be thy basket and thy store Cursed shall be the fruite of thy body and the fruite of thy Land and the increase of thy kine and the flocks of thy sheepe Cursed shalt thou be when thou goest in and cursed when thou goest out The Lord shall send vpon thee cursing destruction and rebuke in all that thou settest thine hand to and that thou doest vntill he destroy thee and bring thee to naught quickly because of the wickednes of thine inuentions and because thou hast forsaken me The Lord shal make the pestilence cleaue vnto thee vntill hee haue consumed thee from of the Land whether thou goest to enioy it The Lord shall smite thee vvith swelling with feauers heate burning and with the sword with blasting and mildeaw and they shall follow thee vntill thou perrish And the heauen that is ouer thy head shal be brasse and the earth that is vnder thee shal be yron The Lord shall turne the raine of the Lande into powder and dust from heauen shal they come downe vpon thee vntill thou be brought to naught And the Lorde shall cause thee to fall before thine enemies thou shalt come out one way against them and flee seauen wayes before them and shalt be scattered among all the kingdomes of the earth And thy carkasse shal be meate vnto all manner of foules of the ayre and vnto the beasts of the earth and no man shal fray them away The Lorde will smite thee with the botch of Egipt and the Emerods scab and itch that thou maist not be healed thereof And the Lord shall smite thee with madnes blindnes and dazing of hart Thou shalt grope at noone dayes as the blind gropeth in darknes and shalt not prosper in thy waies Thou shalt be oppressed with wrong and be polled euermore and no man shall succour thee Thou shalt be betrothed vnto a wife and another man shall lye with her thou shalt build an house and not dwell therein thou shalt also plant a vineyard shalt not gather the grapes Thine Oxe shal be slaine before thine eyes thou shalt not eate thereof thine Asse shall bee violently taken away before thy face and shall not be restored to thee againe thy sheepe shal be giuen vnto thine enemies no man shall rescue them Thy sonnes and thy daughters shall be giuen vnto another Nation thine eyes shall see it daze vpon theÌ„ all the day long and there shall be no might in thine hand The fruite of thy Land and all thy labours shall a Nation which thou knowest not eate vp thou shalt continually suffer violence be oppressed alway so that thou shalt be cleane beside thy selfe for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see The Lorde shall smite thee in the knees legs with a mischieuous botch that cannot be healed froÌ„ the sole of thy foote vnto the toppe of thy head The Lord shall bring thee thy King which thou shalt sette ouer thee vnto a Nation vvhich neither thou nor thy Fathers haue knowne that there thou mayest serue strange Gods wood stone And thou shalt be wondered at spoken of and iested at among all Nations whether the Lorde shall carry thee At the length after many and horrible curses he addeth saying And all these curses shal come vpon thee ouertake thee till thou be destroyed because thou harkenedst not vnto the voyce of the Lord thy God to keepe his commaundements and his ordinaunces which he commanded thee And they shall be vpon thee for signes wonders vpon thy seede for euer because thou serâ—edst not the Lord thy God with ioyfulnesse with a good hart wheÌ„ thou haddest aboundance of all things Therefore shalt thou serue thine enemy which the Lord shall send vpon thee in hunger thirst in nakednesse and in neede of all things he shal put a yoke of yron vpon thy necke vntil he haue brought thee to naught And the Lord shall bring a Nations vpon thee from farre from the end of the world as swift as an Eagle flieth a Nation whose tongue thou shalt not vnderstand A nation of a shamelesse cruell countenaunce which shall not regard the person of the old nor haue compassion on the young The same shall eate the fruite of thy cattell and the fruite of thy land vntill he haue destroyed thee shall leaue thee neither Corne Wine nor Oyle neyther the increase of thy Kine nor the flocks of thy sheepe vntill he haue brought thee to naught And he shal keepe thee in in all thy Citties vntil he haue cast downe thy hie walles and strong holds wherein thou trustedst throughout all thy â—and hee shall besiege thee in all thy Citties throughout all thy â—and which the Lord thy God hath giuen thee And thou shalt eate the fruite of thine owne body the flesh of thy sonnes and of thy daughters which the Lord thy God hath giuen thee in that straightnes siege wherewith thine enemies shall enclose thee All these be the words of the holy Scripture but there are many moe in the same Chapter which we doe now leaue of to remember Which if they be read with attention diligence they will make a man whatsoeuer hee be to be amazed and to faint and die in courage for the horrour of so dreadfull fearfull things And he that shall read peraduenture shall open his eyes and shall begin somwhat to vnderstand the rigour of the Diuine iustice and the cruell maliciousnes of sinners and of the great hate that the Lord beareth towards sinne seeing that hee doth punish it in this world with such horrible punishments whence we may easily coniecture what is to bee looked for in the world to come Furthermore it may irke the wicked of their insensablenesse and calamitie because they liue as though they were blind neyther doe they see what is referued for theÌ„ or what punishments are prepared Neyther think that these threatnings are in vaine onely words and speeches inuented to terrifie men for as they are threatnings so are they true prophecies of the calamities into which the people should fall For in
which neuer gaue sucke Then shall they begin to say to the mountaines Fall on vs and to the hils couer vs. For if they doe these things to a greene tree what shall be done to the dry As if the Lord would haue sayd if this tree of life and innocencie in which there is neyther worme found nor any corruption of sinne so burne with the flames of the Diuine iustice for the sinnes of others how thinkest thou will a dry and barren tree burne which not charity but the own proper malignity condemneth to the fire And if in this work of mercy thou doest see so great rigour of iustice what will it be in other matters in which so great mercy is not seene But if thou beest so dunsicall and blockish that thou canst not conceaue of the force of this argument at the least looke vpon the paynes of hell and see what an exceeding huge punishment that is with which the Diuine iustice punisheth one sinne how I say that sinne that is done in a moment is punished with euerlasting torment Behold how this dreadfull and terrible Iustice ioyneth her selfe to this Diuine mercy which thou so greatly extollest What can be thought of more horrible and fearefull then to see how that high and supreame Lord of Lords from the throne of his glory will behold a soule which shall be tortured and tormented so many thousand thousands of yeares with the intollerable punishments of hell yea he shall reioyce that it is thus plagued and it shall be pleasurable vnto him to haue the punishment without end without terme or limit and vtterly without any future hope of remedy O the altitude of the Diuine iustice worthy of all admiration ô secret ô the Abysse of this most deepe profundity What man will be so mad who will be so berest of all reason and iudgement that if he consider these things wil not tremble wil not stand astonished vtterly amazed at such great and dreadfull punishments ¶ Of the works of the Diuine iustice which are seene in this world BVt leauing the bookes of the holy Bible a little let vs goe out and view this visible world for in it we shall finde great arguments of the Diuine iustice I assuredly affirme vnto thee that they that haue their minds illuminated but with the least beame of the Diuine light knowledge doe liue in this world in great feare and exceedingly doe dread the works of the Diuine iudgements because seeking an issue and passage out of them and how to be freed from them they finde none other but onely a simple humble confession of the fayth they haue in Christ. Who doth not tremble to see the vniuersall face of the earth couered with infidelity to see how fruitfull the haruest of the deuils is that fill the lakes of hell with the wretched soules of men to see the greater part of the world yea after the redemption of mankind drowned in the former darknes How small I pray thee is the region of the Christians if it be compared with the Kingdomes and Empires of the Infidels It is but a small corner of the world if thou exceptest the new and late discouered regions of India which are daily more and more discouered and doe come to the fayth All besides the deuils doe oppresse with their tiranny and they mourne vnder the powerfull and tirannicall empire and dominion of the King of darknes where neyther the Sunne of righteousnes shineth where the light of truth riseth not where neyther the water rayneth nor the dew of the Diuine grace descendeth as neyther in the mountaynes of Gelboe where the deuils make such hauock of soules which they gather cast into eternal inextinguible fire For it is without all controuersie that as without the Arke of Noah in the time of the deluge none was saued nor any in the Citty of Iericho without the house of Rahab so none shall be saued that is found without the house of GOD which is his Church But looke vpon that part which Christians inhabit looke vpon the doings and affaires of Christians how they are ordered and managed in this most corrupt and deprauate age of the world and thou shalt confesse that in this misticall body from the sole of the foote to the top of the head there is scarce any one sound member to be found Looke into which so euer you please of the most famous Citties of the world in which at the least there is any footsteps of learning and doctrine yet extant afterwards runne through the lesser Townes Villages Streets and Castels and thou shalt finde those people of whom that of Ieremie may be rightly and truly affirmed Runne to and fro by the streetes of Ierusalem and behold now and know and enquire in the open places thereof if yee can finde a man or if there be any that executeth iudgement and seeketh the truth that is that is righteous in deede and I will spare it Furthermore I say not runne thorow ware-houses shops tauerns publique places of meetings for those places are for the most part dedicated to tryflings toyes lyings and deceits but also the houses of neighbours attend and harken as Ieremie and thou shalt vnderstand that there is no body that speaketh that that is good neyther shalt thou heare any thing besides murmurings lyes cursings oathes and blasphemies heere strifes and contentions doe resound there threatnings and flaunderous reproches are heard No man repenteth him of his wickednes saying What haue I done To be briefe in very deede thou shalt see and vnderstand that the harts tongues of men are busied about no other matters but their earthly owne commodities neither shalt thou heare GOD to be named after any other manner but in oathes and execrable cursings whereby his name is blasphemed which remembrance of his name the Lord complaineth of in the same Prophet saying They remembre mee but not as they ought swearing falsely by my Name So that by the exteriour markes a man can scarcely knowe whether the people be Christian or Heathen vnlesse by that manner that we know bells which are seene a farre of but are knowen by the sound so thou mayest know them by theyr oathes and blasphemies which are heard when thou art neere thē otherwise they could not be knowen or discerned what they are But I pray thee howe can these be numbred with those of whom Esay speaketh All that see thē shall know them that they are the seede which the Lord hath blessed But if the life of Ghristians ought to be such that they that see them a farre of may discerne and iudge them to be the sonnes of GOD what account are they to be made of who rather seeme scoffers mockers and despisers of Christ then true Christians Wherefore seeing that the sinnes enormities of the world are so many and so great how can it be that thou manifestlie doost not see
acknowledge the effects of the Diuine iustice For as no man can denie but that it is a great blessing of GOD to preserue a man from sinne so it is a great punishment and a notable token of wrath when God permitteth that a man falleth into sinne So we reade in the second booke of the Kings that the wrath of the Lord was kindled against Israell therefore he moued or permitted Dauid to fall into the sin of pride when he commaunded Israell to be numbred In Ecclesiasticus also when as many sinnes had been remembred he addeth A mercifull man shall be deliuered from them all and he shall not wallow in them For euen as one the one part the increase of vertue is a reward of vertue so not sildome it is a punishment of sin that God punisheth sinne with sinne or that God suffereth other sinnes to be done and committed So we see that that great punishment was no other which was inflicted for the greatest wickednes in the world that is for the death of our Sauiour then that which the Prophet denounceth against the workers of it saying Lay iniquitie vpon theyr iniquitie and let not them come into thy righteousnes that is to the keeping of thy cōmaundements And what followeth The same Prophet straightwayes after telleth and expoundeth himselfe Let them be put saith he out of the booke of life neither let them be written with the righteous If therefore the punishment be so great and the tokens of Gods wrath so notorious that he punisheth sinnes with sinnes how is it that thou seest not so great arguments of the Diuine iustice amongst so many kinde of sinnes with which this world now in this age doth flow and swell If so it pleaseth thee cast thine eyes about after the manner of them who are in the midst of the maine Ocea to whom nothing is seene but the sea and heauen as the Poet sayth and scarcely thou shalt see any other thing besides sinnes and thou seeing so many sinnes wilt thou not see the Diuine iustice Doost thou not see water beeing in the midst of the Sea Yes certainly And if all the worlde be a Sea of sinnes what els shall it be but a sea of the Diuine iustice It is not needfull that I should descend into hell and there see how the Diuine iustice rageth it suffiseth that I onely behold it in thys world But if thou wilt be blinde and see nothing that is without thee at least looke into thy selfe For if thou beest endangered with sinne thou art within the reach of the Diuine iustice and as long as thou liuest secure vnder it so long art thou endangered and so much the more perrillous is thy danger by how much longer thou hast beene endangered with it So Saint Augustine liued some-times in this most wretched estate as he testifieth of himselfe saying I was drowned in the Sea of my sinnes and thy wrath had preuailed against me and I knewe not I was made deafe with the noyse of the chaines of my mortality and of thy wrath and the ignorance of my fault was the punishment of my pride Wherefore if God punish thee with this kind of punishment permitting thee to lie drowned in the deepe sea of sinnes and so to blindfolde thee in the midst of thine iniquities what doost thou speake of a thing so contrary to thy selfe Let him speake and make his boast of the mercy of God who is worthy of mercy and let him that is punished with the iustice of the Lord speake of iustice Doth the mercy of God so patiently permit thee to liue in thy sinnes and will it not permit thee that at length thou fall into hell O that thou wouldest be wise and know how short the way is that leadeth from the fault to the punishment and from grace to glorie What great thing is it for a man in the state of grace to ascend into heauen and what maruell is it if a sinner descend into hell Grace is the beginning of glory and sin of hell hell is the reward of it Furthermore what is more horrible fearfull then when as the paines of hell are so intollerable as before we haue sayde yet neuerthelesse God permitteth the number of the damned to be so great and the number of the elect so few How small the number of these is least thou shouldest suppose that it is a deuise of mine owne hee himselfe telleth vs who numbereth the multitude of the starres and calleth them all by their names Who trembleth and quaketh not at those words which are knowen to all but eyther ill vnderstood or sildome called to remembrance For when as certaine had asked Christ said Lord are there but fewe that shall be saued he aunswered Enter in at the straite gate for it is the wide gate and broade way that leadeth to destruction many there be which goe in thereat Because the gate is strait and the way narrow that leadeth vnto life few there be that finde it Who would haue vnderstood this in these words that our Sauiour vnderstood if simply he had spoken it not with an exclamation and an emphasis O how strait is the gate and narrow the way The whole world perished in the waters of the deluge onely eyght persons were saued which as Saint Peter testifieth in his Canonicall Epistle was a signe by vvhich is signified how small the number is that is saued if they be cōpared with the number of those that are damned Sixe hundred thousand men the Lord brought out of Egipt into the wilderdernes that he might bring them into the promised Land besides women and chyldren who were not numbred in thys iourney they were many thousand wayes helped of the Lord notwithstanding by their sinnes they lost thys Land which the Lord of his grace and fauour had promised them and so of so many hundred thousand men onely two entred into that promised Land Which almost all the Doctors doe thus interpret that by it the multitude of the damned is insinuated and the paucity of those that are to be saued that is That many are called and few chosen For this cause not sildome in the sacred Scripture the righteous are called Iemmes or precious stones that thereby might be signified that theyr rarenes is as great in the world as precious stones be and by as great a quantitie as other stones exceed precious stones by as great the number of the wicked exceedeth the number of the righteous which Salomon closely insinuateth when he sayth That the number of fooles is infinite Tell me then if the number of the righteous be so small vvhich both the figure the truth testifie to be true when thou seest by the iust iudgement of GOD that so many are depriued of that felicity to which they were created why doost thou not feare that common danger and that vniuersall deluge If the number were
would haue it pierced and thrust through his flesh and bowels that through it he might haue a smarting sence of it as a naile fastned through which might stick in his mind for a perpetuall memoriall to stirre him vp that he might not sleepe and so in some-thing offend his eyes whom he feareth therefore it is most fitly sayd of Ecclesiasticus The feare of the Lord driueth out sinne For by how much any one is feared by so much more diligently we take heed that we doe not offend him It pertayneth to this holy feare not only not to commit euill deeds but also to examine the good least perhaps they be not pure or want their necessary circumstances least a thing of it selfe good by our defect be made euill and vnprofitable For Saint Gregory sayd very well It pertayneth to a righteous man to feare a fault where no fault is Such a feare holy Iob had when he sayd I did feare all my works knowing that thou doost not spare the offender It pertayneth also to this feare that when we are present in the Church at Diuine seruice especially where the holy Sacrament is administred that we chat not nor walke nor vnreuerently gaze about casting our eyes now hether now thether as many doe but we ought to abide there with feare and great reuerence in the presence of the Diuine maiestie who is there after a speciall manner But if thou askest me how this holy affection is begot and bred in our soules I say as I sayd a little before that the loue of God is the especiall roote of it After which seruile feare in like manner auayleth which is the beginning of filiall feare and doth bring it into the soule no otherwise then the bristle doth bring the Shoomakers lyne into the shooe To nourish and increase this holy affection the consideration of the exceeding highnes of the Diuine maiesty is profitable and the consideration of the depth and profundity of Gods iudgements the greatnes of his iustice and the multitude of our sinnes but especially the resistance which we make against Diuine inspirations Therfore it is great wisedome to busie and occupy our minds with these foure considerations for so this holy feare is begot and preserued in our soules Of this feare we haue more copiously spoken in the eight and twenty Chapter of the precedent booke The third vertue which is required in this Diuine worke is trust and confidence that is euen as a sonne in all his troubles and necessities which happen vnto him trusteth and affianceth his repose in his father especially if he be rich and powerfull that his helpe and fatherly prouidence will not at any time faile him so also in this matter let a man haue the hart of a sonne so enlarged that considering he hath such a father as he hath in whose hands is all the power of heauen and earth let him boldly hope and assuredly trust that in all troubles that betide him he shall finde helpe in that father and let him constantly perswade himselfe that if he turne vnto him hoping in the mercy of this heauenly father he shall altogether be deliuered from euill or it shall be ordered to his greater good and further commodity For if the sonne hath so great repose and security in his father how much more ought to be our confidence and trust in God who is our father after a better manner then all earthly fathers and is richer then all the richest men of this world But if thou shalt say that the scarcity of thy good works and deserts and the multitude of the sinnes of thy passed life doe strike a feare into thee whereby thou darest not expect or promise vnto thy selfe so great things from God the remedy will be if when this cogitation commeth into thy mind thou forth-with turnest thy mind from it turnest thy selfe wholy vnto God and to his onely sonne our Sauiour and Mediatour For then presently thou shalt recouer thy courage and thy strength shall increase in him Euen as we add courage vnto them who passe or ferry ouer any swift current or riuer which with the swiftnes and velocity of the running causeth the swimming and giddines of the head and with some call or encouragement admonish them that they should not behold the water but the earth or heauen that they may more securely and healthfully passe so those that be faint-harted and weaklings are to be dealt withall in this busines least heere they looke vpon themselues or their sinnes But perhaps thou wilt say whether shall I turne me that I may procure this strength and confidence vnto me I aunswer that aboue all things the infinite goodnes and mercy of God is to be considered which extendeth it selfe to all the wretchednes of thys world Then his infallible promises are to be weighed in which he promiseth grace and helpe to those that call vpon his Name and doe flie vnto him Neyther are we further to doubt For we see that the enemies themselues doe not denie their fauour beneuolence to them that flie vnto their Tents because they are marked for banishment with some brand or incision but they graciously defend them in the time of danger and heale theyr woundes Consider also the multitude of benefits which hetherto thou hast receaued of his gracious and bountifull hands and of his mercy which thou hast already tryed in benefits past learne to hope for things to come But aboue all these looke vpon Christ with all his torments merrits in which there be especiall causes why we may confidently presume to sue for the fauour of GOD seeing that it is manifest that those merrits on the one part are so great that they cannot be greater and on the other part are the treasuries of the Church for remedy and releefe of all them which stand in need of them These are the cheefest props of our trust and confidence which haue so strengthened and encouraged the Saints in those things they hoped that they were more stedfast and and more vnmoueable then mount Sion But it is greatly to be wondered at that we when we haue so great motiues to moue vs to hope and so iust reasons to perswade vs to trust yet that we are so weake and faint-harted that when we see present danger to hang ouer our heads forth-with wee flie into Egypt to the shadow of Pharaoes Charriots So that many seruants of GOD are found strong and couragious in fastings feruent in prayers liberall in almes deedes and exercised and expert in other vertues but very few are found who haue so steddy a confidence as that holy woman Susanna had Whose hart when she was condemned to death and brought to the place of execution had confidence and trust in the Lord. Hee that desireth moe authorities for the perswasion of this vertue he may bring the whole store-house of the holy Scripture