we may draw the detestation of sinne the care of leading a good life Chap. X. chapter 11 How a Christian is to draw out of the consideration of the diuine Iudgement a great feare of offending God that so he may fly far from it Chap. XI chapter 12 How it is very necessary ful of profit that a Christian do exercise himselfe in this holy feare accompany it with the exercise of diuine loue Chap. XII chapter 13 Of how great value and merit this holy Feare is Chap. XIII chapter 14 Of the fauours which Christ our Lord will do to the good at the day of Iudgement and of the Ioy which they shall conceaue by seeing the signes which precede that Iudgment and by beholding the glory of the Crosse which shall go before Christ our Lord. Chap. XIV chapter 15 Of the fauour which Christ our Lord will do his seruants at the day of Iudgment by separating them from the wicked Chap. XV. chapter 16 Of the fauour which Christ our Lord imparteth to his seruants at the day of Iudgment by giuing them his benediction and communicating his kingdome to them Chap. XVI chapter 17 Of the felicity which Christ our Lord will communicate to his seruants in the kingdome of heauen Chap. XVII chapter 18 Of other benefits which Christ our Lord cōmunicateth to his seruants in his heauenly kingdome and of the fruit of gratitude which we must gather from the Consideration of this reward Chap. XVIII chapter 19 How all the things of this life which are good and which giue delight do induce vs to a desire of the kingdome of heauen Chap. XIX chapter 20 How from this knowledge concerning the kingdome of Heauen which Christ our Lord will giue his seruants we are to gather a resolute purpose to fly from sinne and to fullfill the Commandments of God and to despise the commodityes of this life Chap. XX. chapter 21 How we are much to animate our selues towardes the exercise of good works considering the great estimation which Christ our Lord doth make of them at the day of Iudgement the reward which he also imparteth to them Chap. XXI THE IVDGE CHAP. I. How the office of being our Iudge doth belong to Christ our Lord as he is man and of the great benefit which God imparteth to vs in giuing him to vs to be our Iudge ALTHOVGH the indignation wrath of Christ our Lord against the wicked and the punishment which he inflicteth vpon their sins do belong to the office which he hath of being a Iudge yet so also doth it belong to him vnder the same Title to doe fauour to such as are Good to defend them to imparte benefites to them and both to expresse mercy towardes them in the Iudgment which he exerciseth vpon their faults to giue thē reward for their good deeds and for this reason it is that I wil declare the benefits and fauours which we obtaine by Christ our Lord in respect that he is our Iudge It a Why it was wholy fit for the second Person of the most holy Trinity to be our Iudg at the last day belongeth to Christ our Lord that he be our Iudge in regard that he is a man and because he tooke the nature of man vpon him as being a most conuenient thing that the Iudge be seene by all such as are to be iudged by him and that the guilty may wel vnderstand and heare the sentence that shal be giuē against them that for as much as men are composed of a body a soule they may perceaue it with their soule and heare it with the senses of their body Now if Christ our Lord as he is only God were to be the Iudge he could not then be seene by the wicked and the sentence which immediatly he should pronounce would not interiourly be perceaued by them and therefore it was fit that he should be our Iudge as man and should passe his Iudgment vpon men that so he might be seene and heard by all This Mystery was discouered to vs by Christ our Lord and Sauiour himselfe whilest he was saying Ioan. 5. The Father iudgeth no man but he hath giuen all iudgement to the Sonne and he gaue him au hority to exercise Iudgement as the sonne of man That is to say Although the eternal Father haue the supreme authority and power of Iudging that to him it doth principally belong to approue reward that which is good as also to reproue and punish that which is euill the same also hath the Sonne and the holy Ghost the same as being one the same God with the Father yet the office of Iudging exteriourly and after a visible manner to be seene in the Tribunall and with the authority Maiesty of a Iudge to giue exteriourly a sentence which may sensibly be perceaued by such as are Iudged this doth only belong to the person of the Sonne of God Who by meanes of the most sacred humanity which he hath immediatly vnited to himselfe by the power which frō all eternity he hath as God and by that which in Tyme was communicated to him as man he is to make this visible and exteriour Iudgment this being an execution of the interiour inuisible Iudgmēt which is made of all the most Blessed Trinity And although this exteriour Iudgment be also ascribed to the Father and to all the Blessed Trinity as to the prime cause of all things yet he who is the immediate executour of this Iudgement is Iesus Christ the Sonne of the liuing God because the sacred Humanity is only vnited immediatly to the person of the Sonne that Humanity doth make this Iudgment as the instrument of Diuinity Now b An vnspeakable benefit of God who gaue vs Christ our Lord for our Iudge an immense benefit and an imcomprehensible mercy it was for God the Father to giue vs Christ Iesus for the Iu ge of our cause as he is man as he is our brother and our Sauiour If a delinquent were in prison for greiuous Crymes deseruing death and that he had a brother who most tenderly loued him and esteemed him and did so much desire his liberty and his good that to deliuer him out of prison and from death he had spent his fortune and had exposed himselfe to many troubles and euen to the hazard of death and if the king should assigne that brother of the party for the Iudge of his cause with Soueraigne power to Iudge him without appeale what kind of fauour what clemency would it be which heerin should be vsed towards that man How full of ioy and comfort would he be vpō the naming of such a Iudge How confident and secure would he make himself that the sentence would be full of pitty and as fauourable to him as possible his cause might beare Well therfore since all men according to the c From which Christ our Lord his B. Mother
the guifts of grace what kind of profit what kind of comfort will it be to haue communication with so many Saints both men and Angells in the guifts of glory O with how much reason is it sayd Psal 23. Blessed are they O Lord who dwell in thy house they shall prayse thee there through the eternity of all eternityes Amen CHAP. XVI Of the fauour which Christ our Lord imparteth to his seruants at the day of Iudgment by giuing them his benediction and communicating his kingdome to them THIS benefit and fauour is followed by another which yet is greater For the good being once separated from the wicked being plac't vpon the right hand of Christ our Lord this celestiall King shall cast towards them his most gracious countenance being all full of suauity and delight And passing his sentence of fauour on them he will say Come yee blessed of my Father The benediction of God is the good guift of God and so to be blessed by him is to be filled withal those good gifts and graces which God communicates to his seruants That is withal those principall benefits which the Saints haue heere on earth when once they are made pure and cleane from all imperfections and withall those others also which the Angells doe possesse in heauen which is more with all those goods graces which the King of heauen himselfe doth possesse and enioy For as S. Iohn affirmeth 1. Ioan. 3. When he shall appeare we shall be made like to Iesus Christ our Lord participating of his power of his beauty of his wisedome of his goodnes of his ioy of his glory He a How grace and glory proceed from God the Father and how also from the other persons of the most B. Trinity calleth them Bl ssed of his Father to declare the fountayne first ofspring from whence all the benefits of grace and glory spring and this is the eternall Father and besides because all that which the Father operateth is also the worke of God the Sonne as he is God as also it is the worke of God the holy Ghost For the Diuinity the Goodnes and the Power is the very same in all the three Persons and to attribute them all to the Father as to the first Authour of all that is good is to offer them also to the Sonne as he is God and it is also to offer them to the holy Ghost who is one God with the Father and the Sonne O happy men who are to receaue such a benediction A benediction giuen by Christ our Lord in the face of heauen and earth of all the creaturs A benediction authorized by all the most Blessed Trinity as the Authour and fountaine of the same A benediction which comprehendes all the chiefe guifts of grace al the guifts of glory A benediction full of benefits vnspeakable most high and truly heauenly which containe all the most chiefe and choice part of heauen A Benediction of eternall benefit A Benediction irreuocable which can neuer be changed as long as God shall be God! O how highly is this benediction to be esteemed O how much is it to be desired procured which maketh men so truely happy as our Lord himselfe declareth saying Come and possesse the kingdome which is prepared for you from the beginning of the world Kingdoms b The great differences which are betweene an earthly a heauenly kingdom dominions you had on earth but temporall kingdoms dominions they were of little valew cōfort or ratherful of miseries whatsoeuer they were they are now growne to an end Laying aside those miserable kingdomes which already are ended come and possesse another kingdome which is celestiall full of incomparable happines a kingdome of infinite value a kingdome which eternally shall contynue And although euery one of you is to be a king of this kingdome and is to raigne and possesse the same yet the kingdom is still but one For all of you are to be subiect and obedient but it is to be with supreme loue to this Soueraigne King in whose company you are to raigne And because all of you are to be of one hart and of one will vnited by most perfect loue in such sort that the blessings belonging to any one in particuler to be of you all so farre forth as to reioyce therin and they of you all to be of euery one to reioyce with them to whome in particuler they belonge this kingdome is also to be but one Yet still though this kingdome be but one you shall all be kings and you all shall raigne For the kingdome is infinite in the greatnes of the felicity which is possest therin and it is infinite also in the contynuance since it is eternall And to the end that you may discerne the altitude of this kingdome and the great affection wher with it is giuen you Behould it hath bene prepared for you since the beginning of the world The election c Of our election to the kingdom of heauen and the preparation which is made for vs toward the same of the inhabitants of this kingdome was made before the world was created for they were chosen and predestinated from all eternity to raigine therin But the preparing of those things which concerne this kingdome and the putting of those meanes in practice which had relation to the obteyning therof did begin at the beginning of the world From that tyme were framed those most sumptuous pallaces those most beautifull habitations and those most glorious seats and thrones where the inhabitants of this kingdom were to liue raigne Then were created and were made happy those first Cittizens of this kingdom which are the Angels who were to keepe men company therin and to augument the glory which men were to possesse in this kingdome And so also from the first begining of the world ther were gifts of graces which came to be communicated to men wherby they were to obteyne this kingdome And for God to create man and withal to communicate iustice grace to him wherby he might procure this kingdome all that was done at once from that tyme to this nothing hath beene done but to dispose and help men giue them meanes that they might come to possesse and perfectly inioy this kingdome in glory both of body and soule This is that most blessed sentence which Christ our Lord will giue in fauour of his seruants that being done he will instantly rayse them vp togeather with himselfe and will inuest them with the most glorious possession of his celestiall kingdome CHAP. XVII Of the felicity which Christ our Lord will communicate to his seruants in the kingdome of heauen LET a A most excellent most sweet most profound yet most plaine description of the ioyes of heauen throughout this whole Chapter vs yet more particulerly cōtemplate the Maiesty of this kingdome which Christ our Lord imparteth to
his seruants and of that felicity which is possest therein to the end that we may gather that fruit which it is fit for vs to feed vpon which is nothing els but the disposing of our selues to the obtayning of this kingdome by an imitation of the vertues of Christ our Lord. And b The place of the kingdome of glory first the scituation and place of this kingdome is that supreme heauen which for the glorious brightnes and splendor which is found therein is called Empyreal The altitude and capacity and beauty admirable designe the grace and suauity of this place though it be such as no tongue of flesh and bloud can declare yet to giue vs to vnderstand some part of that which there is found by a comparison of those thinges which heere we know S. Iohn describes it in the Reuelations after this manner Apoc. 21. 22. He was carryed in spirit to a mountaine which was great and very high and he saw that holy Hierusalem the celestiall Citty full of the clarity of God all built of perfect pure and most resplendent gould like cleane pure glasse It had a wall about it of Iaspar both very thicke and very high the foundations wherof were adorned with pretious stone In this wal were twelue gates and euery one of them was made of a most pretious pearle and that pearle alone did make the gate This Citty had within a very spacious open place all paued with gold most pure most resplendent in the midst of that place there was a riuer of infinite sweetnes A Temple also there was to adorne this Citty and a light to illuminate it and this Temple and Light was God himself and therfore it must needs be farre from hauing any necessity of any other Temple or Light By these wordes S. Iohn describeth the scituation of the Kingdome of heauen and the habitation of the Saints And although it be true that there are not there any of those mettalls of gold or siluer or any of these pretious stones of earth for all these thinges are poore and base and of no valew yet c We who are sensible creatures as well as spirituall must be raised towards spirituall things by such as are sensible and therefore the vse of ceremonyes and Images is very necessary he deliuereth himselfe thus that by those thinges which are the most pretious and beautifull of the earth the soule may rise to consider the greatnes beauty of heauenly thinges vnderstanding euer that those are incomparably better then these And as the whole globe of the heauens is so far exceeding the earth in greatnes that the whole earth is but as a point or in effect as nothing in comparison of the heauens so is it in all the rest as well as in greatnes And all the brightnes and beauty and sweetnes of thinges of this world being compared with those of heauen are as if they had not so much as the least being at all So that the aduantage which the habitation of heauen doth carry beyond this of the earth is such that it exceedeth all comparison For in fine such it is as is fit to be carryed by the house of the Creatour in respect of a creatures house and by the Citty of God in respect of the Citty of men and by that sphere of felicity and eternall ioy in respect of this Center of miseryes and this valley of teares The d Mans supreme happynes consisteth in the vision of God chiefe felicity which is enioyed in this soueraigne Citty by cleare vision is God himselfe His seruantes sayth S. Iohn Apoc. 22. in this Citty of God shal see his face What vnspeakable happines what Abisse what immense kind of sea of all felicity will it be to looke the Diuinity of God in the face without the interposition or interpretation of any creature To e A most sweet explication of the most blessed Trinity see that diuine essence in three persons and three diuine persons in one and the selfe same essence to see the power of the Father the wisedome of the Sonne the goodnes of the holy Ghost To see how the Father from all eternity engenders the Sonne communicating to him his diuinity and how the Father and the Sonne as one the same eternall spring or roote do by spiration giue proceeding to the holy Ghost and communicate their diuine essence to him To see how all the perfection of God is in euery one of the three diuine persons and how al the perfectiō that any one of the diuin persons hath the very same is possessed by either of the other diuine persons What kind of incomparable ioy wil that be so cleerely to behould an infinite Good which is all amiable all ful of infinite beauty of suauity and of delight And not only to see it in some manner which might be lesse excellent but to behould it with the eyes of an incorruptible soule and they most brightly clarifyed by the light of glory euerlastingly to loue it without ceasing that with a most perfect loue and to possesse it with a perpetuity of security After f Of knowledge Loue and Ioy and how they grow out of one another the rate of the knowledge of any thinge growes the loue to be and after the rate of the loue is the ioy for that which is so much beloued and that knowledge which the Saints haue of God being the greatest which can possibly be had since it is the cleare sight of God the loue must also be so great as that greater cannot be conceaued The g The motiues of loue soule is moued to loue a thing which it knowes because it is good because it is beautifull because it is profitable because it is delightfull because it concernes the soule and is after a sort belonging to it And so much more as that thing is good more beautifull more profitable more delightfull more concerning it and more belonging to it so much more doth the soule if it know that thing well and be hindered by no impediment at all delight in it and loue it with a more intense and perfect loue Well then since all these reasons and tytles motiues of loue are found to be in God with infinite perfection and the soule cleerly seeing God and meeting with no impediment which may hinder loue with what loue so intense and so immense will it be sure to loue him By h The riuers of ioy which ouerflow a soule which is in glory seeing that he is infinite goodnes there is ingēdred in the soule a most copious riuer of loue By seeing that he is infinite beauty there is produced in it another most abundant riuer of loue By seeing how full of aduantage it hath bene and is and euer will be to the soule and that in some sorte it is euen infinite there flowes from the soule another riuer of loue so wide and
our Lord coÌ„municateth to his seruantes in his heauenly kingdome and of the fruit of gratitude which we must gather from the Consideration of this reward BESIDES these benefits which are the chiefe there are others yet which are enioyed by happy soules in the kingdome of heauen which are also of inualuable value and of incomparable ioy One of them is to be in coÌ„pany of the Blessed where there is such a multitude of a The incomprehensible number of the Angels Angelicall spirits distinguished into nine Quires as that they are in greater number then all the men which haue beene which are and which shall euer be yea more then all the corporeall creatures of the whole world put togeather And where there are so many Patriarkes and Prophets and Apostles and Apostolicall men and Martyrs and Confessours and Virgins and so many others who by pennance haue made their way to heauen whom S. Iohn who saw them in a Reuelation sayth Apoc. 7. to be so many as that they cannot be numbred And b The dignity excellency of those celestiall inhabitants all of them are the sonnes of God and Grandes in the Court of God and Kings in the kingdome of heauen and all of them most perfect in vertue and most sanctifyedly wise and most beautifull and full of immense glory and all of them so well content and at ease that they desire nothing but what they haue because they haue as much as possibly they can desire And c What a noble conuersation will this be notwithstanding that they are so very high in dignity and glory yet withall euery one of them is most profoundly humble all affable and milde and of most sweet condition And being so innumerable as they are they yet doe all know one another much better and in a more intrinsecall manner then a man on earth can euer arriue to know himselfe And they all do treate and communicate with one another and they loue one another with such a loue as doth incomparably exceede the loue which any Mother can beare to a child For in them all there is but one affection and will which is that of God by the vnion and conformity of will which euery one hath with his and the felicity of all euery one esteemeth as his owne and the glory of euery one in particuler is held as proper to euery one And d Euery one of them hath excessiue ioy in the glory of any other so euery one of the Blessed hath as many particuler ioyes as there are Angels Saints in heauen For euery one of them reioyceth at the others good as at his owne and he enioyeth the ioy of another as his owne ioy and so much more will one happy soule be glad of the glory of any other as he shall see God to be more glorifyed in that other But amongst all the e The inestimable ioy which euery of the Blessed haue in behoulding and treating with the all immaculate Mother of God Blessed whether they be Angells or meere men and women the creature who doth more enoble and engrandize and delight and make happy that most glorious court of heauen is the most sacred Virgin Mary that Lady that Queene that most deerly diuinely sweet enamoured mother of theÌ„ all For she is the true naturall mother of him who created them all who redeemed them all and who indued them all with that beatitude They all are great they all are most sublimely happy but this Lady is more great more happy and more glorious then they all together All of them do ardeÌ„tly loue one another and they all conuerse and behould ech other with admirable sweetenes and they are all a cause of excessiue ioy and glory to one another But f And woe will be to theÌ„ who do not loue honour and admire and serue this soueraign Queene this soueraign Queene loues them al and euery one of them as her deerest Children and as her brethren and companions and as the louing members of Iesus Christ our Lord who is her naturall sonne And she behoulds them all with most gratious most amorous eyes and she treates communicates with them all with a most incomparable sweetenes and by that presence and communication of hers she causeth in euery one of them farre more ioy and farre more glory then any other creature doth This blessed life and this company of the blessed is described by the Prophet Isay Isa 60. speaking partly of the militant Church but principally of the triumphaÌ„t which is that celestial Hierusalem in these wordes There shall neuer be in thee O thou Soueraigne Citty and thou land of the liuing any sinne or punishement nor any newes or noyse therof Insteed of paine thou shalt haue perfect eternal health insteed of sinne thou shalt haue the continuall euerlasting exercise of the loue of God Our Lâ—rd God shall be al in all to thee thy Sunne and thy Moone and thy light and thy glory and all thy good And aâ—l the elect are to make vppe in thee a people and a most glorious and blessed common wealth to the end that all together may eternally enioy the inheritance of those celestiall benedictions And let vs see since there are to be so many inhabitants in that soueraigne Citty and since euery iust person is to be a Cittizen therof if there may there be found any one who is weake or impotent or who is subiect to the least disgust The Prophet doth instantly proceed and say The least of them al shal be so full of power as that he may stand for a thowsand of the strongest men and the little one shall stand for a mighty Army That is to say euery one of the Blessed shall participate so much of God and shall finde God to be so truely his as that whatsoeuer he haue a mind to do for that he shall haue sufficient power And whatsoeuer felicity he shall desire the same he shall possesse for in God he can do all and he hath all These g The fruites which grow from the consideration of the glory of heauen benefites which we haue heere recounted other which be like to these are possessed and enioyed in that celestiall kingdome which Christ our Lord who is the iudge both of the quicke and dead will impart to the iust in reward of their good life And now let vs reach towards the fruit which we must procure to gather from the infallible knowledge of this truth Whereof h Great estimatioÌ„ of the benefits great thansgiuing to the benefactour the first is this A very great estimation and profound internall gratitude for this mercy vnspeable grace of God that we being so poore creatures so weake so ignorant and who by our owne fault made our selues so miserable so base so vnworthy of all good and who so well deserued the vttermost of all paine God would
the other elements and framed by the will of man out of mettall and wood and other mateâ—…alls of this world do cause such â—ontentment and ioy in the hart â—f man by the sight therof that for â—…is sight they endure and suffer much and make long iourneys and much expence what comfort and ioy shall it be for the cleere eyes of the soule being strengthned by supernaturall force and light to behould that beauty of the Angels and blessed spirits yea and the beauty of God himselfe If to heare with our corporall eares that Musicke which is made by the voyce of a man and of other instrumeÌ„ts of Musicke doth impart such sweetnes as that a man will remaine many houres as if his soule were euen suspended and he is content to loose both his food and rest for this earthly gust what sweetnes will it be for those inhabitants of heauen with the eares of their soule to heare those consorts melodious songes wherwith all the Quires of the Angells do praise and glorify Almighty God And to heare that most gratious voyce wherwith the same God doth comfort and recreate all those blessed soules discouereth to them his Loue togeather with the secrets of his very hart And to heare also eueÌ„ with the ears of their bodies the sound of that praise and thanksgiuing wherwith all those men who are to be made happy after their Resurrection shall glorify Almighty God giue ioy to the whole court of heauen A man c We haue reason to aspire to eternall glory since nothing of this life can queÌ„ch our thirst who considereth and pondereth by these and such other discourses both of reason and faith the greatenes of these celestiall blessings and who findeth that neither the naturall appetite of reason and much lesse the supernaturall which he hath being caused in him by grace is satisfied or contented or quieted by al the benefits and gusts and delights of the earth but that euen whilst he hath them he becometh more hungry more discontent and more vnquiet then he was before that onely he can be satisfied by the delights and gusts which are in heauen will be induced vpon this motiue to desire the happines of heauen with a most vehement ardour of minde And he is animated and encouraged to begge it of God and to sigh and grone for it continually and he sayth with Dauid Psal 41. As the Hart with being chased and tired and hauing deadly thirst desires the waters and goes panting vp and downe in search therof so my soule being ouerwrought by the miseries of this life desireth thee o my God hath a mighty thirst and an vnsatiable appetit towards thee who art the fountaine of the liuing water both of grace glory which can only satisfie and appease my whole appetit How longe o Lord am I to liue in this place of banishment When wil it be granted me that being freed from the miseries of this exile I may present my selfe before thee and behould thee face to face and enioy thy presence in the society of those happy soules And as longe as this sentence of banishement lies vpon me that the sight of thy Diuinity is deferred I take contentment in nothing but spending of sighes and shedding of teares day and night throgh the excessiue desire that I haue to be with thee and by these teares my soule is comforted mantained Thus did Dauid and all those holy Patriarcks and Prophets and great seruants of God of the old Testament aspire sigh and groane with vehement desire of this celestiall beatitude And much more and with more reason did the Saints of the newe Testament performe the same and so should all true Christians do First because till the passion of Christ our Lord was past the Saints how fully soeuer they were purged from all sinne and paine went not yet to heauen but to the Lymbus of the holy Fathers where they staid froÌ„ entring into heaueÌ„ till the redemption of the world were accomplished by Christ our Lord. But since his death all they who are purified either in this life or in the other do instantly rise vp to the possessioÌ„ of euerlasting beatitude And secondly now in tyme of the lawe of grace the guifts of the holy Ghost are more aboundantly communicated to the faithfull so they receiue more consolations and spirituall ioy and haue more gust feeling and experience of celestiall graces and do more perfectly vnderstand the height the value and the maiesty therof and consequently they desire them more with more ardour of affectioÌ„ then did the Saints of the old Testament It doth also increase this desire in the tyme of the lawe of grace to knowe that heauen is full of blessed creatures who are of the race of mankinde and who are expecting vs there and do greatly desire our Society For by the entry which any one of the elect doth make into heauen the glory of God is increased who is far more beloued and praised and glorified by the iust in heauen then on earth and so also doth the accidentall ioy and glory of euery one of the elect increase vpon the arriuall of any other But much more then they altogether doth d This reason would extremely oblige vs though ther were no other Christ our Lord who redeemed saued vs by his death desire to haue vs there with him Both because he loueth vs much more then they all are able to do as also for that by the entry of the elect into heauen and by the possession which theÌ„ is giuen theÌ„ of that kingdome the whole fruit of his passion and death is gathered all that is perfected and established which he did and suffred for vs heere that so he might make vs completely happy be like to himselfe in glory be partakers of his heauenly kingdome and in fine to make vs such as that togeather with him we may perfectly prayse and glorify and enioy his eternall Father For these reasons doth he much desire to see vs in heauen and when that desire of his is satisfyed by the ascent which any of the elect maketh thither that most sacred soule of our Lord doth receaue a new delight ioy which belongeth to his accidentall glory For as that kind of glory may increase in any of those other Blessed Spirits so may it also do in the most glorious Humanity of Christ our Lord. CHAP. XX. How from this knowledge concerning the Kingdome of Heauen which Christ our Lord will giue his seruaÌ„ts we are to gather a resolute purpose to fly from sinne and to fullfill the Commandments of God to despise the commodityes of this life THE a The consideration of eternall glory must awake vs to hate fly from sinne third and the principall vse which we are to make of this our knowledge and estimation and desire of heauenly beatitude is a stout and resolute minde and
a stiffe and effectuall purpose to put in executiō all those meanes which ar either necessary or but euen conuenient for the obteyning of this kingdome of heauen Now for the entring into heauen it is necessary to cast sinne away For Sinne giues impediment to al approach thither and they who haue the soule loaden with any one mortall sinne cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen Let vs therfore clense our soules from former sinne by penance and let vs resist all temptations least els we may returne to fall againe according to the aduice of the Apostle who saith Houlding fast these promises of God which are so great and so certaine and do concerne those sublyme guifts of grace and glory let vs my brethren much beloued clense our selues from all spot of sinne whether it be interiour or exteriour He saith from all sinne because it will behooue vs to be clensed from al and we must fly with diligence from all From mortall sins because they are against Charity do separate vs from God and from veniall sins because they are contrary to the will of God and they weaken the soule and dispose it to commit mortall sinne consequently to forfaite the kingdome of heauen So also for entring into heauen it is necessary to do good works such as are acceptable to God as Christ our Lord affirmeth saying Matt. 19◠If thou wilt enter into that eternall life which is true life keepe the commaundments Complying b It must stir vs vp to the practise of all vertue therefore with this obligation let vs performe holy workes wherby we may fulfill the commaundement of God and let vs put in execution the vertues of Humility Chastity Mercy Iustice Temperance Fortitude Religion and Charity by which if they be wrought in state of grace and do growe out of Charity they will make vs worthy of eternall life Besides c It exhorteth vs to perseuerance for the obteyning of this kingdome of heauen it is necessary that we continue in the good begun till we end in doeing well as our Lord did teach vs saying Matt. 24. He that contynueth to the end shall be saued Let vs therfore perseuere in good life and although the deuills comber vs with their temptations though men do persecute vs with their iniuries and though our Lord God do trye vs by many tribulatiōs let vs not turne backe nor be dismaied nor suffer our selues to fall downe to inordinate sorrow nor impatience nor disconfidence but let vs continually make our recourse to God and praying to him with humility let vs beg strengh at his hands wherwith to suffer and constancy that we may perseuere confidence that we may not dispaire So doth the Apostle aduise the Galathians saying Galat. 6. We who are liuing well and do exercise our selues in good workes let vs not faint nor giue ouer no nor growe slacke in the good course begunne but let vs contynue and grow therin with great constancy For in due tyme we shall gather the fruit if we doe not faint That is to say we shall eat the fruit of glory which shall haue no end Moreouer d We must not thinke of finding our heauen in this life if we meane to haue it in the next for the arriuing to enioy celestial beatitude we must despise the goodes and pleasures of this world And it is necessary that we place not our hartes or endes in them nor that we seeke for comfort in them as Christ our Lord did signify to vs by saying Luc. 6. Woe be to you who are the louers of riches and who haue placed your comfort in the cōmodityes of this life For this reason it will be necessary in most particuler manner to contemne all the commodityes of this life namely riches honours and pleasures as poore things transitory and base for by despising them we shall not place our end nor seeke for comfort in them This is therefore that fruit which we are to gather from the knowledge and desire of celestiall beatitude For knowing the greatnes and beauty and valew of heauenly things we grow quickly and clearely to see the vilenes poornes of such as be earthly and by desiring and tasting eternall things we grow instantly to loose the loue and tast of all thinges transitory And thus shall we perfectly accomplish that which the Apostle asketh at the hands of all the faythfull saying Coloss 3. If you be raysed vp with Christ seeke the things that are aboue That is e A place of S. Paul excellently pondered to say Since you are risen vp in soule to a spirituall life of grace with hope to be raysed vp in due tyme to an immortall and glorious life both in body and soule in imitation of Christ our Lord who rose vp from the dead to an immortal and glorious life seek you with your thoghts with your desirs with your good works and with continuall prayer the kingdom of heauen And since Christ our Lord who is your head is seated at the right hand of his Father possessing and enioying euen as man the greatest anthority and the greatest felicity of glory which he did euer communicate in Tyme or will euer communicate for all Eternity you that are members of his take gust and sauour in heauenly thinges and place not your delight and loue vpon those of the earth but desire those others so from the hart and with so great purity of life that you may euen by experience find the gust and most pure sauour of them addresse your life in order to this end of eternall glory which you loue and for which you hope This efficacious purpose determinate resolution to cleanse the soule from all vice to imploy it with perseuerance in good workes and cordially to despise earthly thinges is the vse which we are to make of the knowledg and desire of celestiall beatitude as hath beene sayd And it is most iust due that so we do and that for the going through with this enterprize which we are to make vpon heauen we be content to vndertake all labour and to encounter with any difficulty All the things f A plaine demonstration and I am in good hope that it will cōuince thee of this life which are of any valew are able to giue but the least cōtentment do cost some trouble and in all them some difficulty is to be endured The husband-mā for gathering in of a little corne doth manure and plough the ground before he sowes and after he hath sowed and that the blade is vp and the corne is growne is fayne first to cleanse it and then to sheere it with much labour The Sheepheard for the breeding of his poore flocke doth content himselfe to endure the heats and coldes and raines and windes and night-watches All Marchants and Factors and all the Maryners conductors who are of seruice to thē in their negotiations do
for the getting of a little money passe through intollerable troubles both by Sea Land and do expose themselues to great danger of death All kind of tradesmen for the getting of a poore liuing do labour and sweat both day and night in their seuerall occupations The souldier for his miserable pay and for a little fume of honour is subiect to extreme inconueniences and runs hazard of his life at euery moment The seruants and Courtiers of great Princes for the obtayning of fauour which yet doe passe and change like any wind depriue themselues of their owne gust and deny their owne will and are hanging day and night vpon that of others and for the giuing of contentment to their Lords they take an aboundance of discontentment disgust to themselues They who are enamoured of this world the couetous for money the intemperate for curious fare the dishonest for that filthy pleasure the proud for that vaine delight in honour and commaund and all of them in fine for the poore cōmodities of this life do suffer greiuous paines and endure excessiue torments and sicknesses and other afflictions which vpon these occasious they incurre as themselues do confesse when the punishment of God shall haue laid their errour before their face And then they will say Sap. 5. We went astray from the way of truth and were estranged from that diuine light and did ouerworke and tyre our selues in the way of sinne and vice and there we endured many difficulties If then the men of this world for the obteyning of most base and transitory riches and of certaine pleasures which are vaine and pernicious both to body and soule for the giuing of contentment to mortall creatures for the yeilding of obedience to those infernall Diuels who perswade them to the loue of earthly things doe ingulfe themselues into such a sea of troubles and breake through such a world of difficultyes what in the name of God will it not be fit for Christians and the seruants of Christ to do for the being faythfull and loyall to that diuine Maiesty and for the exact complying with that obedience loue which they owe him both as to a father and as to a Lord and for the obtayning of the kingdome of heauen the possessing of those immortall riches of the house of God the honour glory of being the sons of God and consequently the ioynt heyres with Christ our Lord of his patrimony Royall and of his euerlasting entaile and for the inioying and that for euer of those incomprehensible delights of his beatitude Certainly it is most iust it is most due that they should vndergo any trouble and ouercome any difficulty and expose themselues to any temporall hazard how greatsoeuer For as the Apostle sayth by way of confirming this truth g 1. Cor. 9. All g This truth confirmed by S. Paul most diuinely excellently pondered by our Author men who striue and fight with others in the place deputed to that end as the vse of the Romains was to do in their entertainements and feasts do for the ouercomming of their opposites abstaine from all those thinges of gust which may be of any impediment to them in their combat as namely from delicate meates from wine from women and the like which are wont to make men dull and weake and they feed vpon grosse meats they obserue the rules of continency and temperance and they prepare and accustome themselues before hand to labour And all this they do to obtayne the reward of winning a corruptible crowne which might perhaps be some Iewell or some suite of clothes or some garland of bayes or flowres or some vaine applause and flying prayse of men What then are we Christians obliged to do in this spiritual contention and strife which we are making against sinne for the obtayning of that crowne of immortality and glory of that celestiall kingdome It is most certain that if for the giuing of contentment to Almighty God and for the obtayning of that eternall and immense beatitude it were necessary to suffer all those pains put togeather which al the men of the world from the beginning of it to the end will haue beene to suffer and which all the holy Martyrs haue endured it were all reason that we should willingly be content to endure them all And if it were necessary not only to suffer all the paines of this life but to endure yea and that for many ages all the torments of hell yea and of many hells it h The ioyes of heauen are more to be desired then euen the paines of hell to be auoyded were most iust fit to endure them all for the obtayning of the kingdome of heauen afterward For greater is the good of the glory of heauen then the euill of the paines of hell And how much then more iust and more conuenient will it be to suffer the payne and difficulty which belongs to vertue and which accompanyeth the fullfilling of Gods commandments Which i How the difficultyes of vertue grow delightfull through the goodnes of God besides that all temporal labour is light since it is so short difficultyes besides that they are short for as much as at the most they last no longer then this life they are with all both light and sweet For the loue of God and the heauenly consolations which he communicateth to his seruants doth make them sweet and the helps and succours of grace which otherwise he giues thē make them light So doe iust persons find this to be by experience as the Apostle confesseth saying 2. Cor. 1. After the rate of the tribulations and afflictions which we suffer for Christ our Lord and whereby we go in imitation of him so do the consolations which are giuen by Almighty God through the vertue and merit of our B. Sauiour increase and copiously abound in vs. If k Consider seriously of the conclusion of this discourse then the labours troubles of this life be on the one side so momentany and so short and on the other so sweet and light and the reward of glory and of that celestial kingdome so eternal and immense and that as our good workes doe grow to be increased so also doth the reward of glory go increasing in such sort as that to euery of our good workes yea l O infinite bounty of God! And are we then in our wits when we be either sinnefull or euen but slouthfull in Gods seruice and to euery one of our desires and euen to euery moment of a life which is lead in state of grace there is a distinct degree of glory which correspondeth what man is that who will not labour for the leading of a vertuous life Who will not be diligent in making resistance to all temptations whatsoeuer Who will not suffer any iniury or paine for liuing well And who will not resolue with strength and courage to perseuere in
that good cause which he hath begun Let vs all both heare and with great fidelity obey the voyce of that Prophet who sayth 2. Paral. 25. You who are the people of God do you encourage and animate yourselues to serue him and to continue in that seruice of his without dismay for in fine your labours shall 〈◊〉 answered with a great reward CHAP. XXI How we are much to animate our selues to the exercise of good workes considering the great estimation which Christ our Lord doth make of them at the day of Iudgement and the reward which he also imparteth to thē THERE is also another particular consideration belonging to this diuine Iudgment and to the reward of good workes which doth greately moue the soule to labour hard in the seruice of God And this is the Reason and Tytle which Christ our Lord alledgeth in giuing his benediction and reward to the iust when he saith Matt. 25. Come yee blessed of my Father possesse the kingdom which is prepared for you For I was hungry and you gaue me to eat I was thirsty and you gaue me to drinke I was a stranger you receiued me into your howse I was sicke and in prison and you came to visit me For a The great valew which our Lord doth make euen of our least good workes by these words Christ our Lord doth mightily discouer the estimation and price which he hath stamped vpon good workes which are done in grace and the great fauour and honor which they receiue in his diuine presence the much that they please him and the immense glory wherwith he rewardeth them since so meane workes so very easy to be wrought as it is to giue a peece of bread to a poore hūgry body or a cup of water to a thirsty or a shirt to couer the naked or a nights lodging to a stranger or a visit to an imprisoned or sick person though it be but to comfort him with good words for we see he doth not say I was sicke and you cured me or I was imprisoned and you freed me but such easy workes as are those other and which put vs to so little cost and trouble that excellent Maiesty of his is pleased to publish proclaime in that great Theater vpon the day of Iudgement in the presence of the whole world and he setteth out and praiseth them which his owne sacred mouth he sublymes then so high as to take them for seruices and deare fauours imparted to his owne persō which giue him great contenment gust And so much b That which maketh a good worke meritorious is the flowing of it from the grace of God in Christ our Lord and the being seconded by his promise of a reward which promise makes the reward due account he makes therof as to esteeme them for merits which are worthy of eternall life and he receaues them as a price of the kingdome of heauen And he esteemeth them for meritorious that not only all together but euery one of them a part and a part he takes euery one of them for the price of glory and of that kingdome which hath no end But c What will not our Lord do to vs for greater worke since he doth so much for the lesse now if Christ our Lord who so highely esteemes and vouchsafes the fauour of so great reward to so light and easy workes as those what will he do to such workes of mercy as are great hard and which grow out of much Charity As when a man doth giue all his goods or a great part therof to the poore or lodge Pilgrims for a long tyme and serue them and prouide them of all things necessary depriue himselfe of clothes to cloth the poore naked Christian and to serue sicke persons day and night and that in the case of troublesome and contagious diseases as when they may be struckē with the plague and to drawe with much trouble of person and charge of purse such as are prisoners or Captiues out of their chaines How much I say will Christ our Lord esteeme such works as these which cost much labour and money and for the performing whereof a man endures much incommodity and imbraceth many paineful things and wrastling with store of difficulties and mortifies himselfe much to comfort others renounces his owne will in many things that so others may be comforted and releeued There can no doubt be made but that much more he will esteeme them and will afford them the fauour in that day of Iudgement of a reward so much higher as the works are more excellent more acceptable in his eyes for being growne vp out of greater Charity And if the Corporall works of mercy which are exercised vpon the bodyes of men which must quickly dy and for the maintenance and preseruation of this corporall life which is soone to haue an end be so much esteemed and fauoured and so highly rewarded by Christ our Lord what will he be sure to do to the workes of spirituall mercy wherby immortall soules are succoured redrest and wherby they being deliuered from the death of sinne and euerlasting paine there is imparted to them saluation and a life of euerlasting glory A plaine d How much therefore are we bound to such as do assist our soules though it be with hazard of their liues case it is that the worke of mercy wherby a soule is assisted is more excellēt then that other wherby a body is releeued that these works of piety wherby the spirituall and eternall life is holpen is of much more valew and merit then that other wherby that corporall and fraile life is succoured For as much as according to S. Thomas D. Thom. cont Gen. l. 4. cap. 55. Amongst all those things which are created no one is greater then the saluation of a reasonable soule which consisteth in the enioying of God So also there is no other greater almes then that wherby this saluation and this life of grace and glory is procured consequently a much greater benefit doth he impart to another who remedieth the necessityes of his soule then if he had giuen him a great sūme of money And since they who giue a little bread to the hungry and a little water to the thirsty and they who retyre a Pilgrime to their house and apparel a naked person with a peece of cloth and visit a man who is in prison or sicke giuing him a little temporall comfort be so esteemed and honoured by Almighty God in the presence both of heauen earth in that terrible tribunall of his Iudgment and are so enobled and sublymed with the Crowne of celestiall glory and with the dignity of the euerlasting kingdome what will Christ do that most iust and righteous Iudge and that most liberal God with them who dispense the bread of heauenly doctrine to such as haue need and are hungry after it