who had kill'd his Master this animal runs at him and holds him fast looking on the by-standers with such a mournful countenance as if he had desir'd Justice whereupon the murderer was apprehended and forc'd to confess his crime for which he was immediately sentenc'd to dy O man If a Dog for a piece of bread had so great a love for his master and was so faithful to him as to lament and vindicate his death wilt thou not be displeas'd at thine ingratitude and principally when a dumb beast reprehends it and teacheth thee to be grateful If that irrational creature was so much incens'd against the murderer of his Master why art thou not displeas'd with those that have slain thy gracious Lord and Master and what are they but thy Sins 'T is true O man thy Sins have taken me have tyed me have scourg'd me have crown'd me have nail'd me to the Cross and were the sole occasion of my bitter death for the Jews could never have the power to crucify me but that thy Sins did both arm and incourage 'em to it Wherefore then art thou not highly displeas'd with them why dost thou not bend all thy wrath and fury against them seeing thy divine Master crucify'd by them before thine eyes and especially since my Death and Passion was design'd to breed in thy heart an eternal hatred of Sin It was in order to destroy Sin that I suffer'd death It was to set a stop to thy feet and hands which are so prone to evil even from thy very cradle that mine as an oblation for their evils were nail'd to the Cross How art thou so impious as to live after such a manner that all my pains taken for thy Salvation will signify nothing Why dost thou not tremble at the very mention of Sin seeing me suffer such cruel torments to destroy and root it clean out of the world How canst thou be so rash and so great an enemy to thy poor Soul as to dare to offend me seeing Heaven open to cast forth its thunder bolts upon thy criminal head and Hell with a dilated mouth ready to swallow thee both body and Soul MAN O My God my King my Saviour my Judge and my only comfort Thou art I confess the Eternal Wisdom and thy words to me are Spirit and Life for they have made me resolve to bid adieu for ever to Sin and to plant virtue where vice was before in great request but give me leave to ask thee what would the benefit of my redemption avail me if that of my Justification had not ensu'd for by this it is that the virtue of the former is appli'd to the diseases of my Soul and even as a plaister tho' never so soveraign will signify nothing except it be laid unto the wound so that heavenly medicine would be of no use or advantage to me if it had not been appli'd by the mediation of this unspeakable benefit to the bruises which I receiv'd in that fatal field of Eden where all mankinde were shamefully foil'd and quite overthrown in the Person of Adam The Sanctification of man does chiefly appertain to the Holy Ghost 'T is his prerogative to prevent the Sinner with the sweetness of his mercy then to call him being call'd to justify him and being justifi'd to direct him and leade him on to the end of his course and then to gratify him with a crown of glory wherefore I may justly say that this very benefit is the happy complement of all others for by this man is register'd in the number of Gods children discharg'd of the main weight of his iniquities deliver'd from the dominion and Tyranny of the Devil reviv'd from Death to Life brought from the state of Sin to that of Justice and of a child of malediction and woe he becomes the Son of God and Co-heir with thee in thy Glory Nemo potest venire ad me nisi Pater meus traxerit illum Joa 44. But this cannot be perform'd without the peculiar help and assistance of the holy Ghost as thou hast declar'd to thy beloved Disciple in these words No man can come to me except the Father who has sent me draw him whereby I conceive that neither free will nor the power of humane nature can withdraw a man from Sin and bring him to Grace unless he be help'd on by the vertue of thy divine power The Angelical Doctor St. Thomas commenting upon these words says even as a Stone by its nature still falls downwards and can never ascend without some exteriour assistance so man overpress'd by the corruption of Sin tends always downwards and is powerfully hurri'd on by his inbred inclinations to the love and desire of terene and transitory things but if he be minded to aim higher that is at the love and supernatural desire of heavenly things he must implore the assistance of thy Divine Spirit without which he shall never be able to make any progress in virtue SAVIOVR O Man thou sayst well but I would have thee practise well what thou sayst for 't is the practise and not the discourse of good things that can make thee grateful to me the serious consdieration of this unspeakable benefit should indeed press thee to it make thee most diligent to atchieve it which is a matter of greatest moment to thee for by this thou art reconcil'd to me and cleans'd from Sin which is the worst of all evils and the only evil I most hate and abhor it alone is able to bring my indignation and wrath upon thee Odisti omnes qui operantur iniquitatem perdes omnes qui loquntur mendacium Psal 5. as thou mayst unerstand by my Prophet who says of me Thou art not a God which taketh pleasure in wickedness neither shall evil dwell with thee The foorish shall not stand in thy sight Thou hatest all workers of iniquity Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing the Lord will abhor the bloody and deceitful man Thou seest by this that Sin is the greatest of all evils nay 't is the very root and origine of them all On the contrary to be in my favour the object of my most tender affection is a real happiness the fountain of all goodness and the solid foundation of all other favours and virtues Why dost thou then delay thy endeavours refuse to concur with my holy inspirations If thou wouldst once firmly resolve an amendment imploy all thy faculties to destroy Sin in thee thou shouldst then receive the benefit of Justification by which thou art deliver'd from that pernicious evil and of a mortal enemy thou art made my friend not in a common degree of friendship but in the most supream that can be thought of which is that of a Father to his Son Videte qualem charitatem nobis dedit pater ut filii Dei nominemur fimus 1. Jo. 3. My Evangelist extols this extraordinary favour very highly where he says behold
lay their hands on their breasts and examine their own life and conversation if they finde themselves to be good Christians upright honest in all their ways it shall be well with them in the hour of their Death for they shall eat the fruit of their well-doings but if they be viciously given and found void of all good works they must expect no better wellcome from me then an order to cut them all down with the Ax of Death and to cast them headlong into hell-fire Thou shalt finde several proofs to confirm this assertion in the first Sermon I preach'd immediately after I was baptiz'd there shalt thou hear me recommend Matth. 5.4 and extoll the great advantages of a virtuous life of Poverty Meekness Justice Purity Sorrow for Sin patience in suffering contempt of Riches forgiving of injuries Fasting Prayer Pennance Entring by the straight gate and also of perfection Holyness Integrity of life and conversation and of the exact fulfilling of every particular of my Heavenly Fathers Laws and Commandments There thou shalt hear me say I came not to the World to break the Law but to fulfill the same and whosoever shall offer to break the least of them and bring others either by his ill example or by his erroneous doctrine to do the like should have no place in the Kingdom of Heaven There thou mayst hear me say to all Christians except their Justice did exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees which was altogether in words and outward appearance they could not be saved That they might not serve two Masters in this life but either must forsake God or abandon Mammon That they should decline from false Prophets that usually come in sheep's clothing but are no better then ravenous Wolves in their hearts and that all men should seek to enter by the straight gate but the conclusion of my long Sermon is that the only sign and token of a good Tree is the good fruit which it bears and without this fruit let the Tree be never so fair or pleasant to the eye yet it is to be cut down and burnt that 't is not every one that shall cry Lord Lord at the last day shall be sav'd or enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but only such as did execute really and in Deeds the Will and commandments of my Father in this life Where is there any incouragement here for the wicked to delay their conversion or to put it off till the hour of death in hopes of a good Peccavi I see none for they are all most pressing motives to force them rather out of their iniquity into a virtuous and godly life To be the better convinc'd of this undeniable truth thou must know that life is a time and season of sowing and planting the seed of virtue and the bitter roots of mortifications and pennance and that Death is Harvest time to reap the main profit of that happy Seed and the wonderful sweetness of those bitter roots It 's therefore my Prophet speaking of the manifold tribulations and anguishes of the Just Euntes Ibant flebant mittentes semina sua venientes autem venient cum exultatione portantes manipulos suos Ps 126.6 Tromsijt mesus finita est aestas nos salvati non sumus Jer. 8.20 Non potest male mori qui bene vixit vix bene moritur qui male vixit Aug. Venite bene dicti Patris mei posside te paratum vobis regnum a constitutione mundi Matth. 25.34 says they were going on weeping and sowing the precious seed of their eternal Salvation and that without any doubt they shall come again rejoycing bringing their sheaves with them and my Prophet Jeremy declares how the wicked shall say in the hour of Death and with tears in their eyes the Harvest is past the Summer is ended and we are not sav'd This was the lamentation of the Jews seeing themselves oppress'd under the slavish and heavy yoak of the Caldeans without any hopes of being reliev'd but it may be likewise taken for the sad moan which the wicked shall make in the hour of Death seeing themselves void of all good works and groaning under the heavy weight of their evil actions then indeed they may cry the Summer is ended the time of our life is now expir'd wherein we might have gather'd a plentiful stock of all virtues and good works but We unfortunate Souls We have spent that precious season in all manner of vices and now that the Harvest is past we must appear naked as we are of all good works replenish'd with evil ones before a dreadful Judge to be sentenc'd to Eternal Death which We have justly deserv'd for abusing his mercy by flattering our selves with a good Peccavi at our last farewell to the World and to all its deceitful pleasures The Harvest is past the Summer is ended and we are not sav'd What can be more terrible How should any Man dare delay his conversion hearing these words and having as many Presidents hereof as there have been Sinners surpris'd by death even in the heat of their wickedness O ye Blessed Souls says St. Augustin who have spent your days in the constant practise of virtue still submissive to the Laws of God always obedient to his commands thirsting after righteousness and justice great lovers of mortification and pennance hear what comfortable news I bring you and what is that You cannot dye an ill death no 't is impossible Orabat scelestus ad Dominum ad quo non erat misericordiam con secuturus 2 Machab. 9.13 De Centum Millibus quorum maia fuit vita vix unus salvabitur Aug. for God will assist you in that dreadful hour and will receive your Souls at their departing your bodys into the perfect enjoyment of my everlasting Glory Whereas the wicked tho' they should make as great a shew of an apparent repentance as Antiochus did yet will they hardly come to a better end for of a hundred thousand that lead a bad life continually to the hour of death scarce one shall be sav'd says the same St. Augustin and his doctrine is grounded upon my words because I have call'd and ye refus'd I have stretch'd out my hand and no man regarded and as ye have made naught of all my Counsels and been deaf to my reproof I also will laugh at your Calamity I will mock when your fear comes When it comes as desolation and when your destruction comes as a Whirlwind when distress and anguish comes upon you then shall ye call upon me but I will not answer ye shall seek me early but ye shall not finde me because ye hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord. Prov. 1.24 They would not accept of my Counsel they despis'd all my reproofs therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way and be fill'd with their own devices The devout St. Bernard confirms this truth by two
grateful and meritorious to him as being the worthy products of my lively loving and gracious Children and because that all their virtue and power of doing well proceeds from me alone This certainly is a great incouragement to all justifi'd Souls to crave what favours they stand in need of and to ask of my heavenly Father with a great deal of confidence and hopes to obtain their requests being it is not only for themselves they ask it but also for me who am highly honour'd in them with them for no man will deny but what the members do the head does the same what is confer'd upon the one is also confer'd upon the other consequently being that I am the head of the justifi'd what they ask for themselves they ask the same for me My Apostle says Quam diu fecistis uni ex his fratribus meis miaimis mihi fecisti Matth. 25.40 that whoever offends and wrongs my members wrongs me likewise whoever persecutes them persecutes me also whoever honours them or gives them any relief in their distress I own the favour as done to my Self what a main comfort this is to a Just man when he considers that what boon he begs from the Father of Heaven for himself he begs the same for me who am his dearly beloved Son sure this is a principal ground for thee to hope that thou wilt not be refus'd what favour thou dost request of him For when a kindeness is exhibited to one for the love of another the favour is chiefly done to him for whose sake it was granted and indeed thou oughtest to believe that when thou shewest mercy to the poor for Gods sake thou art not only merciful to them but even to God himself MAN BLessed be thy holy name for ever my dear Jesus Capio dissoivi esse cum Christo Philip. 1.23 for thou hast replenish'd my heart with unspeakable joy and my Soul does thirst so much after thee the Fountain of life that she often desires with St. Paul to be deliver'd from the Prison of her frail ungrateful and rebellious flesh to stand in thy glorious presence for ever This I know is the reward of all justifi'd Souls For as thou makest use of thy Justice against Sinners who depart this life without Pennance and dost cast them headlong into the extremity of Hell-fire so thy mercy receives all true penitent Souls into life everlasting And tho' thou canst forgive them their Sins Non sunt condignae passiones hujus temporis ad futuram gloriam quae revelabituâ— in nobis Rom 8.18 quod Momentaneum est in praesenti ct leve tribulationis nostrae supra modum in sublimitate aeternum gloriae pondus operat 2 Cor. 4.17 and receive them into thy favour without communicating thy Glory yet thou wouldst not deprive them of so great an advantage for those that thy mercy does absolve of their Sins thou dost Justify and those whom thou dost justify thou makest them thy Children and those whom thou dost take for thy Children thou makest them thy Heirs and joint-heirs with thy self in thy Kingdom of Glory This is the grand foundation of that lively hope which does rejoyce and comfort the just in all their tribulation for when they see themselves oppress'd with any disasters loaden with afflictions depress'd with infirmities reflected upon by their Neighbours Persecuted by their Enemies they consider seriously and believe that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compar'd with the glory which shall be reveal'd in them They firmly believe also that their light affliction which is but for a moment will work for them a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory All these favours and graces they receive from thee by the means of their Justification wherefore I must of necessity conclude with St. Augustin that benefit is of a far greater estimate then is that of our Creation the reason for it is that thou hast Created both Heaven Earth with one sole word whereas to Sanctify man thou hast suffer'd all the torments that the malice of men and the fury of Hell could invent thou hast spilt thy precious bloud gavest even thy sweet life to purchase his Salvation If we poor Mortals be so much oblig'd to thee for our Creation how much more are we thy Debtors for the benefit of our Justification for the obligation must be the greater by how much the purchase is dearer I must confess O Lord Nemo scit utrum amore an odio dignus sit Eccle 9.1 that a man does not know for certain whether he be Justifi'd or not being he cann't tell whether he be worthy of thy love or hatred however he may have very probable marks of his Justification whereof one and not the meanest is the reformation of ones life If he who was accuftom'd heretofore to commit several Sins in a day now commits none that man whoever he be is oblig'd to thee O Lord in a high measure in as much as thou hast deliver'd him from so many and such great evils and also hast gratifi'd him with all the eminent favours that We even now discours'd of But if any should be so great an enemy to his own Salvation as to continue his sinful and wicked life notwithstanding these most pressing motives which should oblige the most obedurat of men to love serve and obey thee Terribilium omnium terribilissimum mors Aristot O Lord I beg that thou wilt begin a discourse of Death which is the most terrible of all terrible motives in hopes it may retrive such poor wilful obstinate sinners and force them to comply with thy grace which is never wanting to any that purpose to amend SAVIOVR REmember O man that thou art a Christian and don 't forget that thou art a mortal man and consequently that thou must surely dy for thy fate is already decreed and the decree is unavoidable The Sons of mortall Parents must expect a mortal Posterity Death is the end of great and small Thou art born helpless and expos'd to the injuries of all Creatures and of all weathers The very necessaries of life may procure thy death for thou mayst meet with thy fate in thy dish in thy cup and in the very Ayr that refresheth thee nay thy very Birth is inauspicious for thou cam'st into the world weeping and in the middle of thy designs while thou art meditating great matters and stretching thy thoughts to after Ages Death will cut thee off and perhaps thy longest date is only the Revolution of a few days Death is common to all Men 't is a tribute Mors omnibus communis est Senec. Testamentum hujus mundi morte morietur Eccle. 14.12 that all mankinde must pay to Nature tho' not after the same manner for one may dye at his table another in his sleep a third in the heat of his unlawful pleasures a fourth with a glass
such a thing may be expected in this World But all those calamities I now have mention'd are common as well to the good as to the bad Lassati sumus in via iniquitatis perditionis ambulavimus vias difficiles viam autem domini ignoravimus Sap. 5. because they both sail in the same Sea and are both likewise expos'd to the self-same fortune yet I can demonstrate many other miseries which are peculiar to the wicked alone and these are not improperly term'd the Daughters of iniquity whose description will be much to our present purpose because they render the life of the wicked most abominable and their body and minde both subject to a multitude of miseries Hear what they themselves do confess of them Alas say they we have wearied our selves in the way of iniquity and perdition We have walk'd in most difficult and sinister paths during our whole lives for We know nothing of the way of the Lord by this their own discourse we may very well conclude that even as the Just enjoy a kind of Paradise here upon Earth and do expect a far more happy one in the other life so the wicked have in this World their Hell to which a far more intollerable shall succeed in th' other for evil Consciences proceed from Hell without doubt and they steer their course directly to the same Haven where they shall be tormented eternally And their products have proportionable evils deriv'd from several causes some of them are the effects of thy Justice O Lord for thou art a most just Judge in all thy proceedings sometimes thou dost order the sin to be punish'd as soon as committed and tho' thou dost usually reserve the punishment thereof to the other life yet the wicked are very often afflicted even in this life for the same 'T is most certain that as thou dost govern the whole World with a general providence thou dost also moderate every particular therein with a peculiar Providence so that as the number of our Sins does increase our Punishments shall be multipli'd to the same degree This we know by our many and fatal experiences for what were all our disasters hitherto as so many Revolutions of Government such vast alterations and changes in matters of State and Religion the various fortune of so many Kings and Princes Such horrid disloialty in Subjects to their lawful Sovereigns so many stupendious and destructive Famines and Conflagrations such inhumane and bloudy Wars so many pestilential Distempers such cruel Murthers so many private and publick dissentions and jars They were certainly the just punishments of our manifold and most grevious offences to make good what I say that the punishment immediately follows the sin I produce what thou O Lord saidst to Cain for a confirmation Nonne si bene egeris recipies si autem male statim in foribus peccatum aderit Gen. 7. Deut. 7. If thou dost well shalt thou not be accepted but If thou dost ill Sin lieth at thy door that is to say the pain and punishment of the Sin is at hand and Moises in thy name says as much to the People of Israel know then that the Lord thy God he is God the faithful God which keeps Covenant and Mercy with them that love him and keep his Commandments to a thousand Generations and repays them that hate him to their face to destroy them He will not be slack to him that hates him he will repay him to his face This word Statim so often repeated in Scripture and which signifies a quick return assures me that besides the punishments thon hast reserv'd for the wicked in th' other World thou hast also some in store whereby to chastise them even in this life immediately after the transgression of thy Law So that as often as they fall into Sin so often they feel the heavy weight of thy just indignation they are tost from one misery into another from one tribulation they fall into another this day brought to the bar for their misdemeanours to morrow condemn'd to dye and the next day shamefully put to death without making any reflection upon what might be the fatal cause of their great misfortune For they do not believe the goods of nature to be thy benefits and consequently not deserving their thanksgiving for them neither do they impute their punishment to thy Wrath nor as laid upon them by thy appointment and this blindness it is which prevents the amendment of their lives If there were no other evil in the World then the afflictions and miseries which attend our bodys it were not so much to be hated neither should our fear be so great to trade and converse therein but seeing our correspondence and freedom with it is so pernicions to our Souls also which ought to be the subject of our greatest care as being the principal part of our essence Pluet super peccatores laqueos Psal 10.6 and a precious depositum whereof We must give a strict account to thee O Lord We are necessarily in all reason oblig'd to estrange our selves from it and more especially for fear to be intangl'd in its Snares which are so numerous that the Prophet says of thee upon the wicked thon shalt rain Snares O what an unspeakable number of snares must be in the world then since they are compared to the drops of Rain that fall from Heaven and they must fall upon Sinners too because they of all men have the least care of their hearts of their senses and consciences they are the least solicitons to avoid the occasions of Sin and the least concern'd for Spiritual Remedys so that being intimately acquainted with the World they can't avoid falling into these Snares which come like Rain upon Sinners O Lord thou dost pour down Snares upon Youth Snares upon old Age there are Snares in every state and condition Snares in Riches Snares in Poverty Snares in Honours Snares in opprobrys Snares in Frindship Snares in the Society of Men as well as in the company of Women Snares in the Solitary Wilderness Snares in Prosperity Snares in Adversity Snares in all our senses In fine the Prophet crys out Snares upon all the Inhabitants of the Earth O Lord hadst thou vouchsaf'd to open our eyes as thou didst those of blessed St. Anthony Athanas. in vita St. Antony We should see how the whole World is spread over with Snares and so close that they touch one another and we would also admire as he did that any one should escape what wonder is it then that so many Souls should perish dayly and that St. Bernard should fay of ten Souls that flote upon the tempestious Sea of this World scarce one shall be fav'd and who shall not hate so dangerous a World who should not fear to live in so dreadful a place who will not strive with all his might and skill to avoid those Snares who will dare go bare-foot among so many Serpents
whom he may devour I do grant that the allurements to sin are great and numerous but the motives that I lay before all mortals to adhere to make use of on all such occasions are incomparably more in number and of greater force to repulse all temptations they are also very prevalent to induce 'em to lead a virtuous and godly life The world thou sayst invitest thee to unlawfull and wicked actions but God prohibits them nay he commands the contrary and if thou dost obey him he intails on thee a glorious and everlasting inheritance but if thou hast so little regard of his commands as to trangress them he threatens thee with everlasting damnation and torments The flesh inclines thee to evil but the spirit and reason too bids thee resist manfully such base and rebellious motions the one tells thee that the body is created to be a slave to the Soul not the Soul to the body th' other informs thee what a madness it is to forfeit an eternal happiness for a passing pleasure which ever leaves a sting to pierce and gall thy heart Sodom and Gomorrha were too much led by the flesh but consider well the terrible chastisement they suffer'd in this world yet it is but a shadow to what they shall suffer for an eternity Moreover that gnawing worm of a guilty Conscience should quell in thee all such foul and unlawfull pleasures Thou wilt plead that Satan with the rest of his infernal Confederates never desist perplexing thee with their frequent and strong suggestions and art thou the only man that he assaults no no his quarrel is with all mankind and since that fatal overthrow which he gave our first Progonitors in the garden of Eden he never ceas'd neither will he ever leave off pestering and plaguing their descendants with suggestions to evil Latrare potest Sollicitare potest sed mordere non potest nifi volentem Aug. Angelis suis Deus mandavit de te Mat. 4.6 for nothing makes them so furious and cruel as to see men in a fair way of possessing their forfeited and glorious Seats but thy chief comfort and security lyes within thy own breast he is like a Mastive-Dog at a chain he may indeed bark at thee but can never bite thee unless thou dost come within his reach and consent to thy own destruction Moreover God has deputed an Angel even from thy Mothers womb to protect and defend thee from all such accidents and he will perform his charge if thou wilt but obey him and listen to his wholsome inspirations and dictates If Satan does spur thee on to the Precipice of Sin thy good Angel will teach thee Non coronabitur nisi qui legirtime certaverit 2. Timo. 2.5 how thou mayst in thy conflict secure thy self either by a vigorous opposition or an immediate flight to God for Sanctuary He will also tell thee that thou art created to fight the mortal enemy of mankind and must foil him too if thou hopest to gain a crown in Heaven As for the wicked whom thou thinkest to be of the number of Gods happy favorites because thou seest them prosper in all their ways and that nothing crosseth them that they have plenty of Gold and Silver Horses and all other Cattle in abundance no mortality visits them Prosperitas Stultorum perdet ilios Prov. 1. Non audivit populus mens vocem meam Israel non intendit mihi dimisi eos secundum desideria cordis eorum ibunt in adinventionibus suis Psal 80. Multae tribulationes Justorum Psal 7.20 Non sunt condigâ—ae passiones hujus temporis ad fu turam gloriam quae revelabitur in nobis Rom. 8.18 Rain Wind Storms Thunder Lightnings do pass by them and by all they possess as well abroad as at home but believe me says the wise Solomon that this Prosperity of the wicked which thou dost so much extol and make so great an estimate of as to think them in that to be the Minnious of God will at the cancelling of their life hurry their Souls to the Abbiss of Hell Let the Stiff-necked people of Israel serve for a president to convince thee that I delight not in the wicked They would not hearken to my voice neither would they acknowledge me to be their God and what was the effect of their disobedience and infidelity I withdrew and wholly left them to be guided by their own sensual appetites and they took their self-pleasing courses and follow'd the directions of their own Councels This is the greatest punishment that can be inflicted on a Nation for then their reprobation is sign'd never to be recall'd Many indeed are the tribulations of the Just but my worthy Apostle telleth thee from me that the sufferings of this present time are infinitly less then the Glory which shall be reveal'd in my faithful and devoted Servants hereafter I deal with them on earth as a skilful Physitian with his Patients I cleanse their Souls of all their sinfull spots by giving them to drink of that bitter Chalice of tribulations by which they are disposed to partake of a more abundant grace and brought to a nearer conformity with me who exhausted the same Chalice of its very dregs by this remedy they are secur'd from th' everlasting pains of hell which are incomparably greater and of a longer tract then all the tribulations and crosses that were suffer'd by all mankinde in this world and the same intitleth them my Associates in Heaven to sit at my table to enjoy my presence for ever and all the happiness that my celestial Court can afford Ego quos diligo arguo castigo Apoc. 3. Thou seest by this what unspeakable advantages the Just do reap by their tribulations and how the tenderness of my love to them appears even in the severity of my chastisements No Father can be more indulgent to his Child then I am to the Sinner for tho' the greatness and multitude of his heinous offences deserve no mercy at my hands but rather the utter severity of my Justice yet commonly I for bear with him still expecting his amendment but the longer I let him run in the way of iniquity the more he should be terrified for sins never escape without condign punishment and the longer it is deferred the heavier it will fall at last T is true the sinner has my parole for a pardon at any time when he comes to me with true repentance Qui poenitenti veniam promisi Eundem de die crastino nequaquam certificavi 12. Aug. Terra miseriae terra tenebrarum ubi nulius ordo sed sempiternus horror inhabitat Job 10.12 that is a gift from God and which he is not sure to receive no more then he is certain to live till next day That fatal delay of repentance has replenish'd the Dominion of Satan with millions of poor Souls and if any should set them the question what brought them to that
justly deserved it And if thou shouldst refuse to grant him thy protection yet has he no reason to repine at it But grant me leave O Lord to make known my grievances unto thee when I tell thee of my great difficulty to attain perfection the impossibility I ly under to depress my evilinclinations Thou dost remit me to the powerfull help of thy grace as if it were even at hand and in my power to make use of upon all occasions whereas I am always imploring it nay and often with weeping eyes do I crave thy mercy yet all my prayers are ineffectual I still being what I was an empty vessel void of all grace cold in my devotion weak frail and as prone to vice as ever I was where is now thy promise O Lord where are thy manyfold often reiterated protestations to give a favourable hearing to all poor Sinners at any time when they make their Addresses to thee Ask thou sayst and it shall be given you Mat. 7. Seek and you shall find Knock and it shall be opened unto you For every one that asketh receiveth and he that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall be opened These are thy promises here are thine own invitations however in all submission I presume to say what the holy Job confess'd in the height of his afflictions and what he express'd in the bitterness of his sorrowful and troubled heart Job 30. I cry unto thee says he and thou dost not hear me I stand up and thou regardest me not Jer. Lament 3. I may lament with the Prophet Jeremy and say that thou hast builded against me and hedg'd thy self about with a thick cloud so that when I cry and shout Esai 63. thou hearest not my prayer I may likewise complain with the Prophet Isaiah that the multitude of thy mercies are restrained from me O Lord if what these great and holy men have said be true how can I poor sinfull Soul expect that my prayers will be heard or that thou wilt comply with my earnest and humble request I have more reason to apprehend the severity of thy Justice then to expect the products of thy mercy Esdr 9. for I may well say with Esdras O Lord I am confounded ashamed before thy face for my Sins are multiply'd above my head and my iniquitys have reached up to Heaven SAVIOVR I Am the searcher of all Hearts there can be nothing therein that is not visible to my eyes I have all their thoughts in my prospect and all the actions of men are register'd in my book of accounts I know that thy fears and querelous complaints do proceed from a pious and upright minde and therefore am resolved to give a favourable answer to every particular objection of thine I know thou dost not doubt of the truth of my words but thou would'st fain have the right meaning of them and conceive at full how my words and promises which seem to be contradictory may be justifyed in thee Wherefore take it for a certain truth and an infallible Rule that none who does what lies in him shall perish or ever be abandon'd by God no He is so mercifull a Creator that He will refuse no body the concurrence of his grace for he ardently desires the Salvation of all without any exception of persons as thou mayst easily conclude by that solemn invitation which he gives to all mankinde Come unto me says he all ye that are heavy and I will give you rest as also by that great care which he takes of every particular man even from his Mothers womb Mat. 11. Angelis suis mandavit de te ut custodiant te in omnibus vijs tuis Mat. 4.6 to dispatch one of his heavenly Courtiers with express orders to keep protect and defend him as well from the rage of his insulting enemies as from all other sinister accidents which poor Mortals are incident to This and many more Instances I might produce of the great tenderness that God has for man so that none who is truly a Christian has the least ground to doubt but that he and his only and dearly beloved Son also who has suffer'd so much for men and gave even his very Life to save them from Death everlasting will be ready not only to hear their prayers at all times but also most free to comply with their request But I must give thee to understand that prayer is an act of virtue and therfore it 's call'd Latria so that it is not every petition that can be rightly term'd a prayer for this is an humble demand of decent and necessary things to Salvation As thou art oblig'd to be firmly fix'd in the constant practice of other virtues thou must be the same in prayer thou must never give over but still continue upon the same subject with God And withal if thou dost expect to be heard and to obtain the effects of thy prayer from him thou must add the following councel to my former that is utterly to break off with vice and fall into a virtuous life For what a ridiculous thing it is to think that God will remit thee thy Sins whilst thou art resolv'd not to forsake them but rather to increase them dayly To hope for any mercy at his hands whom thou dost dishonour provoke and offend hourly what dost thou think of it is it not to laugh at the Almighty and to ridicule the Omnipotent If thou hadst dealt so with a terene King or with one of an inferiour degree certainly he would be highly displeas'd with thee and take it as a great affront that thou shouldst crave his pardon for the wrong thou hast done him and which thou art resolv'd not to repent how much more should the God of infinite Justice the Lord of unspeakable Majesty and the Judge of illuminate Wisdom be incens'd against a poor wretched creature that would go so bare-fac'd to affront him By what is said thou mayst understand that the duty of a well-meaning Orator is first to be inwardly griev'd to have ever offended his God secondly to make him condign satisfaction for all his past offences thirdly to purpose firmly not only to avoid Sin but also the occasion which may bring him to it After this worthy preparation he then must make a sorrowful entire and sincere confession of all his Sins to his spiritual Father fulfill exactly what satisfaction he shall enjoyn him If thou dost perform this and live ever after according to these dictates thou shalt undoubtedly obtain from God the effect of thy prayer let it be what thou wilt either the remission of thy sins or a further increase of Grace or any other rational request I must confess that he does sometimes even as a wise and provident Father delay the performance thereof but it is to try the faith and patience of his Orators and to exercise his Elect even the most holy among them that
didst send him word by thy Prophet that he should dy for it and that He and all his People should suffer the punishment which was to fall upon the Syrians and their King O my Sweet Saviour if thy judgement even in this life be so far distant from that of men what shall it be in that dreadful hour which thou hast reserv'd for the executing of thy divine Justice SAVIOVR MY Judgment is indeed far remote Vas electionis est iste mihi ut porter nomen meum coram Regibus Gentibus Act. 9.15 not only from that of the common sort of men but also from that of the holiest among them Paul was a Saint upon Earth he was a vessel of Election and made privy to the Secrets of Heaven yet he was deceiv'd in his judgment of Timothy for he thought him to be a Saint and worthy of the character and station of a Bishop yet I found him otherwise Apoc. 3. and threatn'd to deprive him of his Church of Ephesus for falling from his former zeal and would certainly take away his Chair but that he repented and did Pennance My dearly beloved Disciple had a great veneration for all the Seven Bishops of Asia the whole Country look'd upon them all as holy men and great lovers of virtue yet in my sight the Bishop of Sardis was so far from being a Saint that his Soul was tainted with mortal Sin the Bishop of Laodicia was a miser poor blinde and naked of all virtue the Bishop of Thiatira was indeed a faithful servant to me as to his own person but in performing his duty to those under his charge I found him guilty in several sins of omission The Bishop of Philadelphia was not indeed fallen from his first zeal Utinam frigidus esses aut calidus sed quia tepidus es incipiam te evomere ex ore meo Apo. 3.16 yet I found wherewith to reprehend him not for committing of evil nor for the omitting of good nor for being remiss in his former fervour but only for his little virtue and charity with another I found fault and told him I would thou wert either hot or cold but because thou art luke-warm I shall begin to vomit thee out of my mouth By this thou mayst see how far different my judgment is from that of men in this life As for the severity of my Judgement even in this life wherein for the most part I make use of my mercy t is very terrible as thou mayst well perceive by what I said to the People of Israel by the mouth of my Prophet nay 't is able to drive thee and even the most obstinate of Sinners out of the ways of iniquity into the path of mortification and Pennance which alone can lead them to Salvation Mark well my words and lodge them within the closet of thy heart as a divine treasure their efficacy is such that if often minded they will exempt thee from the following calamities I will powr out all my Rage upon thee and will accomplish my fury in thee I will Judge thee according to thy ways and will lay forth all thy wickedness against thee my eyes shall not pardon thee neither will I have mercy on thee I will charge thee with all thy misdeeds and thy abominations shall be in the midst of thee and thou shalt know that I am the Lord that smites Nay my wrath shall be upon all the People the Sword without and Pestilence within and Famine too they who fly to save themselves shall all remain in the mountains as the Doves of the valleys trembling in their iniquities their hands shall be disjoynted and their knees shall dissolve into water for the great fear and amazement which I shall send upon them in my wrath Consider seriously now and conclude if my Judgement be so severe and so rigorous even in this life which is the only time for mercy what will it be when mercy is clear out of date and when Justice will admit of no mixture of pitty of tenderness or of compassion when the books of all mens consciences shall be laid open to the view of the whole world when the most secret Sins of their hearts those sordid acts committed in the dark those Sins which through shame were conceal'd in confession or made less considerable with false and Sacrilegious excuses when all crooked and sinister intentions hidden and unknown Treacheries counterfiet and dissembling virtues feigned friends adulterous Wives unfaithful Husbands deceitful Servants false witnesses and all such trash shall be discover'd to their great shame and confusion when In fine Ite maledicti in ignem aeternum qui paratus est Diâ—boio Angelis ejus Mat. 25. Job 26.11.12 they shall behold me feated on a dreadful Throne with a countenance full of indignation and wrath and hear from my mouth these dreadful words depart from me ye cursed into eternal fire prepar'd for Satan and his Angels This dreadful sentence shall overthrow them for ever and cover them with eternal sorrow and confusion The Pillars of Heaven says Job do tremble and are astonish'd at his reproofs If we be not able to hear so few words from his mouth without amazement in puncto ad inferna descendent Job 21. how shall we withstand the thunder of his omnipotent power This voice shall be horrible and of so great a power that the earth in the twinkling of an eye shall open and swallow them down into the bottomless pit of Hell O Man if Ananias and Saphira were struck dead only with hearing the angry voice of my Disciple what a terror will my dreadful and angry voice strike into the hearts of the reprobate Act. 5.1.2.3.4 c. S. Catharine of Sienna was reprehended by St. Paul for not imploying her time to more advantage for her Soul this was at most but a charitable advice givenprivately too yet she said she had rather be disgraced before the whole world then once more to suffer what she did by that reprehension but what is this in reference to the horrour and confusion which my dreadful words will bring upon the wicked in the day of my vengeance If when I suffer'd my self to be taken and led to be judged with these two words I am I overthrew the astonish'd multitude of Souldiers and Rabble to the ground what will my words be when I come to Judge what a terrible fall and irrecoverable overthrow will these dreadful words give to all the wicked depart from me ye cursed into eternal fire prepared for Satan and his Angels Psal 54. for at that very instant the fire of that general burning shall invest those misorable Creatures the Earth shall open and Hell shall enlarge his throat to swallow them to all eternity Psal 139. Then they shall see the accomplishment of my malediction let death come upon them and let them sink alive into hell Coals of fire shall fall upon them
brought that I was but skin and bone I sat alone with a heavy heart in sorrow and bitterness The whole compound of my body was at this time so deform and ugly with the continual wearing of my Sackcloth and my skin so black that any man might take me for a perfect Ethiopian I wept dayly and pass'd my time continually in groaning and when at length sleep came upon me against my will I lay down and began a labouring my bare bones that scarce hung together sometimes against the ground and sometimes with as great a Stone as I was able to manage well with my hand Of my meat and drink I will say nothing for in this place we Monks use only cold water even in our greatest infirmitys think it a great delicacy to taste of any thing that savours of the fire But what was all this mortification of S. Jerom for It was says he for fear of Hell that I brought my self to this extremity and retir'd my self to this Wilderness where I have for companions only Scorpions and wild Beasts It was to avoid Sin that I wore out my body with continual fasting that I cry'd unto thee O Lord whole days and nights together that I never ceas'd to beat and knock my breast that I persever'd in prayer for so many years in that forlorn and savage Desart and this I thought my self oblig'd to do for to avoid the scorching flames of Hell remembring what councel thou givest me and all mortals Pro Justitia agonizare pro anima tua usque ad mortem cetta pro Justitia Eccl. 4.33 to fight valiantly for our Souls and strive unto Death for the maintaining of Justice O man consider seriously how remiss and careless thou and the rest of mortals are in the practise of this heavenly Doctrine what do you do or what pains do you take to secure your Souls from Hell what care do you take to depress your passions evil inclinations what resistance do you make to Sin which of you all takes that great care to fly from the occasion of evil there 's none now adays that mortifies his flesh but will rather cherish and pamper it to wickedness there 's none found that takes the pains to repress his unruly appetites that withstands his sensual suggestions nay the whole World run after their own concupiscences they presently yield themselves slaves to every temptation that comes upon them to every assault that the Enemy makes they devour every hook that the Devil lays to intrap them and swallow down every poison'd bait that he casts for their destruction Prove 7.6 7 8. Behold how perfectly the careless and sensual man is describ'd by the Holy Ghost in the Proverbs At the window of my house says he I look'd through my casement and beheld among the simple ones a young man void of understanding walking in the dark night he met with a Woman dress'd like a Harlot prepar'd to deceive Souls She invited him with many alluring speeches to go with her home to her house and immediately he follow'd her as an Ox led unto the Slaughter and as a wanton skipping Lamb that is carri'd to the Shambles like a Bird that makes hast to the Snare so follows he not knowing silly sot that he is drawn to fetters and that the danger of his Soul depends thereon until his heart be stricken through c. This description the Holy Ghost makes to set out the deplorable state of dissolute and foolish Christians who take no care to resist temptations but follow every suggestion of the Devil until at last he brings them into his Slaughter-house and there ties them up fast in the bands and chains of their own wickedness banish'd from Heaven for an Eternity Now O man I leave thee to give them a description of the calamities and anguishes which they are to meet with in this their unfortunate and wofull Exile MAN MOst merciful Redeemer that it is an unfortunate Place replenish'd with miseries none can doubt because thou O God hast said it And it is in the opinion of the chiefest of thy Prophets a Land of Sulpher and burning pitch a Land of Pestilence and corruption a Land of uncleanness and misery and no wonder it should be call'd so being the Angelical Doctor St. Thomas avers that all the most nasty dross and dregs as well of the Earth as of the other elements shall be cast down into Hell for the greater punishment of the Damn'd and the reason he gives for it is that as every Creature does contribute to the joy of the Blessed so every creature likewise shall add unto the torments of the damn'd and as they have separated themselves by sin from thee who art One and plac'd their happiness only in the Creatures they shall also receive their punishment from the Creatures in this common shore Laystal of all the Elements O what a dreadful Dungeon what a lamentable place of Banishment will this be to those Damn'd Wretches What I have to say of Cicero's joyful admiration is If men be thus transported with the difference betwixt some Countrys and others betwixt the humours of some Men and those of others what difference shall the damn'd Souls finde betwixt Heaven and Hell betwixt the joy of the one and the torments of the other and betwixt the conversation of Angels and that of the Devils What grief will it be to them to behold themselves everlastingly banish'd from Heaven depriv'd of thy vision ejected from the company of Angels from the society of Saints and out of that happy Land of the living where all is in peace quietness Charity Joy where all shines all pleases and all parts resound with Alleluia's I am now to consider with what cruelty the Devil treats those wretches in that woful land of their Banishment but before I enter upon this matter it will not be amiss to entertain you with the cruelty of Mortals one to another by which we may easily conclude how outragiously cruel the Devil will be to all men that shall be so unhappy as to fall into his Clutches for he is their professed Enemy even from their Creation It would be more then sufficient matter for a larger Volume then this to treat of the miserable consequences sanguinary effects of mens Rage and malice one to th' other from hence proceed slaughters poisons Wars Desolation rasing and burning of Cities unpeopling of Nations turning of populous Countrys into Desarts publick Massacres Regicids Kings abdicated Princes led in Triumph some murther'd in their bed-chambers others Stab'd in the Senate or cut off in the security of their spectacles and pleasures Some were that took their passion for a Princely quality as Darius who in his expedition against the Scythians being desir'd by a Noble-man that had three Sons that he would vouchsafe to accept of two of them into his Service and leave the third at home for a comfort to his Father I will
be to the damn'd to be depriv'd of this unspeakable comfort for an Eternity 't is so deplorable that Scripture does place it in the first rank of all other losses damages torments miseries that can befall a damn'd Soul let the wicked man be taken away Tollatur Impius ne videat gloriam Dei Esai 16. to the end he may not see the glory of God says the Prophet From this loss proceeds that great and general torment so often repeated in Scripture by the name of the worm of Conscience so call'd because as a worm lies eating gnawing the wood wherein she abides so shall the remorse of their Consciences ly within the damn'd griping and tormenting them for ever it shall be to them a remembrancer to put them in minde of the means and causes of their everlasting damnation which will make them to fret and rage and admire their own folly to have hanker'd so much after the vanities of the World and neglected the grand work of their Salvation Hear how they exclaim in Hell what has our Pride Sap. 5. or what has the glory of our Riches profited us they are all now vanish'd like a shaddow We have wearied our selves in the way of iniquity and perdition and the way of our Lord we have not known This shall be their everlasting ditty thus shall their tormented Conscience rave in Hell O most gracious Saviour when I see to my great sorrow in this sad Age we live in poor Mortals so far blinded with their worldly interest so deeply engag'd in the mire of iniquity so much taken with their sinful recreations and pastimes so deaf to thy Inspirations and callings so avers'd to the practise of piety and devotion such great enemies to mortification and pennance I despair in a manner of their Salvation and the rather that these so powerful motives can't prevail with them or make them desist lusting after those poysonous baits which the Devll presents unto them dayly and at every moment and which they with as much ease swallow as he takes pleasure to destroy their Souls Their common discourse is 't is time enough to think of Pennance when we come to old Age for then we shall be fit for no other thing O most Sacred Saviour thou sayst thou wilt not the death of a Sinner wherefore be pleas'd to let them know the danger of delaying their conversion and of deferring their repentance untill their latter days SAVIOVR THere is a kinde of People in the World Rom. 16. Tit. 1. says my Apostle that do exteriourly and by words confess God and profess themselves to be as good Christians as the rest yet interiourly and by the products of their doble dissembling hearts they don't believe there is a God at least with those Attributes that are as essential to him as his divine Nature and which I call infinite knowledge Providence Care and disposition of humane affairs Justice Judgment Punishment and the like These they do not indeed believe because their life and actions are quite contrary to a well-grounded belief Scripture avers it with a wo unto the dissolute and careless in heart who do not believe God Vae dissolutis corde qui non credunt Deo Eccl. 2. Deut. 22. These are the men whom I do hate and detest with all my heart because they plow with an Ox and an Ass together because they sow their ground with mingl'd Seed and their Apparel is made of flax and wool together These are them I spoke of in the Revelations Apoc. 3. I would thou wert either cold or hot but for that thou art lukewarm and neither cold nor hot therefore will I begin to vomit thee out of my mouth These are they who can accord all Religions together and take up all Controversys by only saying that either they are differences of small importance or else that they are out of their Province and belong only to learned men to dispute of but not unto them moreover they are of opinion that both parts do erre in somewhat or may be agreed and go both to Heaven These are the men who can apply themselves to any company to any time to any Government to any Princes pleasure to any Religion but will not admit of any discourse of Devotion in their presence only they will have men eat drink and be merry with them tell news of the Court and affairs abroad Sing Dance Laugh and play at Cards and dice and so they spend their lives in their Sinful recreations without any thoughts of God without any care of Salvation without any apprehension of Death depending only upon a good Peccavi in their extremity and when God shall Summon them to another World but alas they shall finde themselves sadly mistaken Vae Impio in malum Esai 3. Ipsi videntes sic admirati sunt conturbati sunt commoti sunt tremor apprehendet eos Psal 47.6 for I shall turn them off with a wo to the wicked and then shall set before their eyes all their abominations and crimes their Usury their Drunkenness their whoredome their treacheries their false Oaths their Extortions and Oppressions of the poor their blasphemies and the rest of their wicked actions shall come in a crowd to confound their Souls their Gold and Silver their Estates and Fortunes which they had so unjustly acquir'd their pleasures treasures now the only object of their adoration shall then become the fatal Subject of their confusion and my Justice shall take delight to batter and break their understanding Conteret Dominus scelestos simul Peccatores Esa 1.28 and memory with the full knowledge of all their Sins and how often they had slieghted my Inspirations my Callings my amorous invitations other innumerable effects of my mercy O silly Souls says St. Paul be not deceiv'd be not so far overseen as to leade a licentious life in hopes to dye a good Death Nolite orrare quae enim seminaverit homo haec metet Qui seminat in carne de carne metet corruptionem Gala. 6.7 Mat. 7.16 for in that dreadful hour you shall reap no better grain then what you have sown if you have been such bad Husbands of your Salvation as to sow and plant nothing else in the Soil ground of your Souls but carnal works you can't pretend to no better Harvest then corruption and everlasting Damnation Do Men gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles even so every good Tree brings forth good fruit but a corrupt Tree brings forth evil fruit A good Tree can't bring forth evil fruit neither can a corrupt Tree bring forth good fruit Every Tree that brings not forth good fruit is hewn down cast into the fire These are my words 't is I the Eternal verity that speaks them Dicite justo quoniam bene fructum adinventionum suarum commedent Esai 3.10 and therefore they can't be contradicted or falsify'd let all men
a horse we take off his cloths and his trappings and examin his shape and body for fear of being cozen'd And shall we put an estimate upon a man for being set off by his fortune and quality nay if we see any thing of ornament about him we are to suspect him the more for some infirmity under it He that is content in Poverty would not be so neither in Plenty for the fault is not in the thing but in the minde It 's therefore thy Apostle writing to Timothy says command the Rich of this World not to be high-minded nor place their considence in the uncertainty of their Riches Divitibus hujus mundi praecipe non sublime sapere neque sperare in incerto divitiarum 1 Tim. 17. Non proderunt divitiae indie ultionis Pro. 11.4 Divitiarumjactantia quid nobis contulit Sap. 5. Dormierunt somnum suum nihil in venerunt omnes viri divitiarum in manibus suis Psa 75.6 and the ground of his Precept is that Riches shall not profit a man in the day of revenge nor rescue him from the rigour of thy Justice in the day of his death if his sins have put him out of thy favour this the wicked Rich themselves confess tho' too late being already condemn'd to live in torments for an Eternity what has the bravery of our Riches avail'd us nothing at all but have rather increas'd our misery because we made thereof our Gods upon Earth tho' we were often told of their vanity and how they could never afford their Masters any comfort or ease when they were in most need of their help The Royal Prophet seems to commiserate their deplorable condition where he says Alas the Rich men have slept out their sleep and have found nothing in their hands People in their sleep will dream of Mountains of Gold and Silver and think themselves rich for ever but when they awake they finde they are altogether in as bare a condition as before this is the case with the rich whilst they are in this life they do imagine themselves Rich for ever and that their vast treasures will bear them up in all necessitys that shall occur but when they open their eyes in the hour of death they see then that they must depart for another World with as little provision as the poorest beggar in nature I can't but smile to hear the Prophet Baruch laugh at such People where are they now says he those great Estated men those mercenary Judges those deluding Lawyers those flie Attornys those greedy and covetous Merchants those insatiable Usurers that heap'd up such a vast deal of gold silver and that never desisted gathering together Alas they are rooted out of the World cast down into Hell-sire And therefore says St James now ye rich men weep and wail Jacob. 5.1 2 3. c. and howl for your miseries that come upon you now your riches are rotten and your gold and silver is rusty and the rust thereof shall be in testimony against you It shall feed upon your flesh as if it were fire you have hoorded up wrath to your own selves in the last day Tho' he is an Apostle that speaks yet his words are the very dictates of the holy Ghost whereby we may easily conceive the dangerous consequence of worldly wealth and the main folly of them that labour so much to procure the same by injustice and other indirect means and when they are masters of them do not imploy them to the advantage of their Souls but lay out all to support their grandeur and satisfy their Lust I am certain that if an Assembly of the most able physitians of the World had met to determine whether such or such meats were dangerous to feed upon and that they should all conclude they were absolute poyson to the body few or none at all would hazard his health to eat thereof tho' otherwise in sight smell and tast they appear'd sweet and most pleasant And shall not the unanimous votes of all the Saints in Heaven and of all the Catholike Doctors on Earth together with thy most holy and urgent admonitions O Lord be able to remove the disordinate love which mortals bear to this most dangerous Soul-killing vanity Thou sayst by thy Prophet to all mankind Divitiae si affluant nolite cor apponere Psa 61. Qui diligit aurum non justificabitur Eccl. 31. Zacha. 1. set not your hearts upon the love of Riches and why the wise make them this answer because whoever loves Gold that is beyond the precept shall never be justifi'd and thou sayst thy self that thy indignation and wrath shall fall very heavy upon rich nations There 's nothing so often repeated in Scripture as a Woe to the Rich and thou dost confirm it thy self with that usual affirmation Amen Amen I say unto you that a Rich man shall hardly enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Matth. 19. What an extream folly it is then to seek so much after so poisonous a bait as are Earthly Riches which may perhaps afford some little comfort to their owners in this World but with an absolute exclusion from the everlasting pleasures of thy kingdom Woe be to you Rich men for that you have receiv'd your consolation in this life so that in the other you are not to expect any Sad news indeed for the Rich and able to settle in their hearts a perpetual abhorrence against so fatal an enemy to the Salvation of their Souls This expression I fear will not at all rellish with many of our Worldlings who account Riches to be their dearest and only Friend nay had I said their God it would not be contrary to truth for their hearts are more enamour'd with them then they are with thee O Lord tho' thou hast deposited thy sweet life to ransom their Souls from the power of Hell Qui volunt divites fieri incident in tettuionem in laqueum Diaboli defideria malta inutilia nociva quae mergunt homines in interitum perdidonem 1 Tim. 6.9 and Death everlasting And yet if St. Paul may be credited they are grosly mistaken and wide from the mark they aim at for where they expect their consolation and pleasure they meet with their eternal destruction and sorrow for He says that they which will be rich do fall into temptations and into the Snares of Satan as also into many unprofitable hurtful desires which do drown them in the Abiss of destruction and Woe Their main objection to this doctrine is what shall become of our Wives and Children if we be not careful to provide a maintenance for them that they may live in the World with as much splendour as the dignity of their condition requires But the Wife man gives them a satisfactory answer in my minde and a notable check to boot for he calls them fools and besides he tells them in plain terms that their great care