sayth The age of the righteous shall appeare more cleare then the noone day because hee knoweth how great clearenes and brightnes remayneth for him when now he beginneth to goe out of this world And so at that time when the wicked are heauy and faynt the righteous reioyce and haue confidence in the Lord. This Salomon testifieth in his Prouerbs The wicked sayth he shall be cast away for his malice but the righteous hath hope in his death Tell mee I pray thee what greater hope or confidence can be wished for then that which a certaine holy man did ioy in at the houre of his death Death drawing on and he seeing the enemy of mankinde sayd Thou cruell beast why standest thou there thou shalt find nothing deadly in me for the bosome of Abraham shall receaue me in peace How can hee feare or be disquieted who at the very poynt of death had so great hope of the heauenly glory Therfore the righteous doe not feare death yea they reioyce and prayse God when they dye and doe render vnto him great thanks for theyr ende for by the benefit of death they are deliuered from all their labours and enter into their happines Saint Augustine writing vpon the Epistle of Saint Iohn sayth Hee that desireth to be dissolued and to be with Christ dyeth not patiently but lyueth patiently and dyeth delightsomly Therefore the righteous hath no cause to sorrowe neyther to feare death yea rather â—â— is to be sayd of him that like vnto a Swan he dyeth singing yeelding the glory to God who calleth him He feareth not death because he feared God and he that feareth him neede not feare any other He feareth not death because he feared life but feares of death are the effects of an euill life Hee feareth not death because throughout all his life he learned to dye and prepared himselfe to dye but a man prepared and prouident feareth not his enemy Hee feareth not death because so long as he liued he sought for those things that might helpe him that is for vertues and good works He feareth not death because he hath the Iudge fauourable friendlie vnto him and this was the comfort of Saint Ambrose when he was departing this life I haue not so liued sayth he among you that I am ashamed to liue any longer neyther doe I feare to dye because we haue a good and a gracious Lord. To be briefe he feareth not death because to a righteous man death is not death but a sleepe it is not death but an end of all labours it is not death but the way vnto life and a ladder vnto Paradice For he knoweth very well that death hath lost all the bitternes of death after that it hath passed through the veines of life and that it hath receaued the sweetnes of life Hee is not discouraged for any other accidents which oftentimes happen vnto him at this last cast for he knoweth that those sorrowes are the sorrowes of the birth by which he is borne vnto eternity for the loue of which he hath alwayes desired death and led his life in patience He is not terrified through the memory of his sinnes because he hath Christ his Redeemer whom alwayes he did striue to please He feareth not the Diuine iudgement because he hath Christ his Aduocate he sereth not the presence of deuils because he hath Iesus his defender and Captaine he feareth not the horrour of the graue because he knoweth that his body is sowne a corruptible body but shall rise againe an incorruptible body And after this manner prayse is sung in the end The last day iudgeth all the praecedent as Seneca sayth and giueth sentence of the life past for this is it which eyther iustifieth or condemneth but seeing that the end of the righteous is so quiet and peaceable and the death of the wicked so troublesome and dangerous what is further required to make vs flye an euill life and to embrace a good besides this difference What doe all pleasures riches and sauours of this world profit and what auaileth prosperity if I am at the last to be cast into hell fire And what haue all the miseries and calamities of this life hurt me if I shall sleepe and rest in peace tranquillity and if I shall passe hence hauing a pledge and pawne of eternall life Albeit a sinner be wise in the busines of this life vvhat profit reapeth he by this wisedome vnlesse he heape and scrape together those things whereby he becommeth prouder vainer more delicate and of greater power to worke mischiefe but more vnfitte and vnapt to any good worke Hence death is so much the more bitter vnto him by howe much lyfe vvas sweeter There is no wisedome nor prudence more excellent in this life then so to dispose of all affaires that the end may be ioyfull and happy For it is the propertie of a wise man conueniently and fitly to direct the meanes to the end Wherefore if he be called a skilfull Phisitian who can so temper his medicine that it bringeth health which is the end of his medicine so he shall be termed truly wise who hath so learned to lead his life that a good death may follow that is that he be prepared to giue an account which in that day shall be exacted vnto which all the life is to be disposed aymed and leuelled at ¶ The Conclusion of those thinges which haue beene spoken of in this second part THou hast heard therfore my brother what how great be these twelue priuiledges prerogatiues which are granted vnto Vertue in this life which are as the twelue most notable and excellent fruites of that most noble tree which S. Iohn saw in his Reuelation which was planted by the side of a Riuer bearing twelue manner of fruites and yeelding fruite euerie month For what other thing can thys tree be after the Sonne of GOD then Vertue herselfe which yeeldeth fruites of holines and of lyfe And what other fruites more precious then these can be desired which throughout this whole part we haue remembred For what fruite is more pleasant to the sight then that fatherly prouidence by which God preserueth his What fruite is sweeter then the Diuine grace the light of wisedome the consolations of the holy Ghost the ioy peace of a good conscience the good euent of hope the true libertie of the soule the inward peace of the hart to be heard in prayers to be helped in tribulations to be prouided for temporall necessities and to conclude to be ayded and to tast of heauenly comforts in death Surely each one of these priuiledges is so great and so excellent of it selfe that if it were thorowly known each I say were sufficient to moue a man to embrace Vertue to alter and change his life and it would make a man truelie to vnderstand how well it was said of our Sauiour That whosoeuer shall forsake the
come let vs rayse and stirre vp our selues before we be ouer-taken before that great day of the Lord come and appeare of which the Prophet sayth Behold it commeth and who shall endure it Or who shall abide the day of his comming That is a feareful day of hurly burly and of darknes But thou wilt say Howe then may I escape these foresaide euils I will tell thee not onely keepe thy body pure and vnspotted but when thou hast suffered iniurie do good for it if thou beest accused be thou patient When thou doost fast be not boasting of it for fasts are not commended for abstayning from meate but for abstayning from sinne Search the Scriptures see how first the Prophet seeth a Hasill-wand and afterwards a burning Cauldron demonstrating vnto vs that the fire doth consume those that doe not beare the chastisement and correction of the rodde So by Moses the pyllar of fire showed that they that obserue the law receiue the light but the disobedient receiue fire Reade the Scriptures of our Sauiour and learne howe that when we goe hence thether no body can helpe vs. The brother shall not redeeme the brother from endlesse torments nor the friend hys friend nor the parents their children nor the children their parents And what doe I speake of myserable men when as if Noe Iob and Daniel come they cannot intreate the Iudge But thou wilt say Whence may I know this to be true Looke vppon him that hauing not his wedding garment was excluded and none intreating for him Looke vppon him that had the talent committed vnto him and dyd not increase it and how for him no body intreateth Looke vpon the fiue Virgins shutte foorth neyther the other fiue intreateth for them which also Christ calleth foolish because after they had troden pleasures vnder theyr feete after they had cooled the fornace of concupiscence then they were found fooles and not without cause because they obseruing that great dutie of Virginitie dyd not keepe that small commaundement of Humilitie Looke vpon the Iudge in the day of iudgement placing the Sheepe on hys right hand and the vnprofitable Goates on his left and saying to those on his right hand Come yee blessed of my Father receaue a kingdome prepared for you But those on his left hand to be cast into vtter darknesse and that no body dooth helpe and succour them being cast out For it is a true speech Behold the man and his worke Thou hast heard how Diues neuer pittying Lazarus was tormented with flames desired a droppe of water Thou knowest how that Abraham himselfe could not ease his paines although he desired and beseeched him Therefore heereafter we regarding and respecting our selues before we are confounded and vtterly cast downe let vs giue the glory to God It is better here that thy tongue should be dried vp through fasting then to keepe it moyst and there to desire that moysture which being denied is eternall paine Heere with small labour wee may auoide great torments And if we be so delicate and tender in this life that we can not suffer patiently a feauer of three dayes how shall we in the life to come be able to suffer euerlasting fire If wee doe feare the sentence of death pronounced of an earthly Iudge which taketh only from vs life of a few yeres why doe we not feare the sentence of this Iudge which depriueth vs vtterly of an eternall life If we are terrified seeing the execution of some horrible punishment which in this world is inflicted vpon some malefactour when wee see the Sargiants with the Hang-man to draw the malefactour to punishment to beate him to hang and quarter him or to burne him Yet all these are rather solaces then sorrowes if they be compared with the punishments to come For these torments are ended together with life but there neyther the worme shall dye nor the tormenter shall be wearied nor the fire shall euer be extinguished In so much that if all things which thou shalt compare with this punishment be fire be sword be beasts be what torment thou wilt yet it is a sleepe and a shadow in comparison of this But what will the condemned doe when they see themselues depriued of so great a good and condemned to so great misery What will they doe What will they say How will they breathe And all these in vaine For after the ship is drowned the Saylers are for no vse neyther is a Phisition profitable when the diseased dye Then although too late they shall disclaime their errours and say this was to be done and this not Although we often haue beene admonished yet we haue not obeyed Then the Iewes at the length shall acknowledge him that commeth in the name of the Lord but this too late knowledge shall nothing profit them For there shall be no time O vs wretched and miserable what shall we bring for our excuse in that day when as heauen the earth the Sunne the Moone the day and the night with all things that are in the world shall accuse vs and shall cry out for reuengement vpon vs bearing witnes of our euils Yea if all should hold their peace yet our owne conscience would lift vp her voyce against vs and accuse vs. All these things are out of Saint Chrisostome by which it is manifest how greatly hee shall be striken with a vehement feare who shall come vnprepared to this sentence This same Saint Ambrose feared when he sayth woe vnto me if I shall not rise at midnight to confesse and prayse thee ô Lord. Woe to me if I shall deale craftily with my neighbour Woe vnto me if I shall not speake the truth The axe is layde to the roote of the tree let it bring forth those fruites of grace which it should of repentance The Lord is at hand that requireth fruite hee giueth life to the fruitfull but casteth the barren into the fire THE NINTH TITLE That man is bound to the exercise of Vertue by reason of the third last thing that happeneth vnto him which is the glory of Heauen CHAP. IX EVery one of those things which hetherto wee haue spoken of by very good reason ought to haue sufficient force to inflame our minds with the loue of Vertue But because the hardnes of mans hart is so great that after all this it cannot be moued with all these we will adde an other motiue no lesse effectuall then the praecedent It is the greatnes of the reward which Vertue promiseth to her louers that is the glory of Heauen in which two things are to be especially looked vnto the one is the excellencie and beauty of the place that is of the heauen of heauens the other is the dignity and greatnes of the King that dwelleth there with all his elect As touching the first howe great the beauty is and how great are the riches of this place no humane
that which was lost and bring againe that which was driuen away and will binde vp that which was broken and will strengthen the weake but I will destroy the fat and the strong and I will feede them with iudgment And a little after And I will make with them a couenant of peace and will cause the euill beasts to cease out of this Land and they shall dwel safely in the wildernes and sleepe in the woods And I will set them as a blessing euen round about my mountaine and I will cause raine to come downe in due season and there shall be raine of blessing Tell me I pray thee what could our good sheepheard promise more Or how could he describe this his meaning with words more sweet more louing or more elegant For it is certaine that God speaketh heere not of a materiall flocke but of a spirituall which are men where-vpon concluding this chapter he sayth And yee my sheepe the sheepe of my pasture are men Neyther promiseth he grosse or aboundance of temporall blessings which are common to good and euill but aboundance of spirituall graces and of speciall prouidence with which the Lord doth gouerne and rule this spirituall flock as a shepheard so sayth Esay He shall feede his flocke like a sheepheard he shall gather the Lambs with his arme and carry them in his bosome and shall guide them with young What I pray thee can be spoken more louingly or more cherishingly Of the offices and benefits of a sheepheard that whole Psalme speaketh whose beginning is The Lord doth guide me for which S. Ierome translateth The Lord is my sheepheard After this beginning he proceedeth to remember all the duties of a sheepheard which in this place we will not set downe because they are in euery place found and this psalme may be reade of any one Neyther heere in like maner will I remember that as he is called a sheepheard because he doth feede so is he called a King because he doth gouerne and defend a Maister because he teacheth a Phisition because he healeth a Carier because he beareth vs in his armes a Watcher because he watcheth for our defence of which names the Scriptures are full Among all these names there is none more louing which also demonstrateth this prouidence then the name of a Bride-grome by which name in the Canticles and in other places of Scripture he is called By thys sweet and louing word hee inuiteth the soule of a sinner to call vpon him Call mee and still cry vnto me sayth he by the Prophet Thou art my Father and the guide of my youth and virginity The which name is greatly honoured of the Apostle For after those words with which he that was first formed spake to his wife Eue Therefore shall a man leaue his Father and his Mother and shall cleaue to his wife they shall be one flesh the Apostle addeth This is a great secrete but I speake concerning Christ and concerning the Church Which is his Bride as is euery soule of man placed in the state of grace What therefore is not to be hoped of him who hath such a name as this is especially seeing that it is vndoubtedlie true that this name is not giuen vnto him in vaine or vvithout reason But why in searching the Scriptures doe we seeke for thys name or that when as all names which promise any good doe agree to this Lorde especially seeing that whosoeuer loueth him or whosoeuer seeketh him may finde in him all good that he desireth Thys is that which Saint Ambrose saith in a certaine Sermon Christ is all vnto vs If thou desirest to heale thy woūds he is a Phisition if thou beest ouer-heated with feauers he is a fountaine to coole thee if thou beest burdened with vnrighteousnes hee is righteousnesse if thou neede helpe hee is strength if thou fearest death he is life if thou desirest heauen he is the way if thou hatest darknes he is light if thou seekest for meat he is foode See I pray thee my brother with hovve many names and titles Christ is noted and set out vnto vs who notwithstanding is one in himselfe and most simple For although he is one in himselfe yet he is all things in vs that for the releeuing of all our necessities which are innumerable There should be no end if I would recite all the authorities of the Scripture which pertaine to this matter yet I haue brought a fewe of many to the comfort of them who waite attend vpon God and that we might prouoke and allure those to his obedience which doe not serue him for it is certaine that there is no greater treasure vnder heauen then this For euen as he that hath warred in any voyage vnder an earthly King and hath gotten Letters in which great rewards are promised vnto him he keepeth them with great care he often looketh vppon them he is reioyced at them they comfort his heauy hart in tribulation and at length he commeth to the King with them desiring that was promised to him so the seruants of GOD doe keepe all these words and diuine Charters and Letter-pattents in their harts which are more certaine then the Letters of all Kings which are vpon the earth In these is theyr trust vvith these they are comforted in their labors for these they are confident in dangers and in tribulations they adde consolation vnto them to these they runne in all theyr needes these doe inflame their mindes with the loue of this Lord and binde them vnto him to lay and pay out sustaine all things for his worshyp seruice seeing that he himselfe so faythfully doth promise himselfe wholy for our vse who is all things in all In thys appeareth one of the principall foundations of a Christian life to haue knowne by experience this truth Tell me I pray thee can any thing be imagined richer precioser better or more to be desired then he Can any one think of a greater good in this life then to haue GOD a Sheepheard a Phisitian a Maister a Supporter or Caryer a strong vvall a defence a garde and to conclude a Bridegrome and all in all What can any one haue in the world that he can giue to his friend to be compared to the least of these benefits Great cause therefore haue they to reioyce and be glad who possesse so great a good neyther onely to reioyce but also to comfort themselues and to cheere vp their drooping spyrits to glory in him aboue all things Be glad yee righteous and reioyce in the Lord sayth that royall Singer and be ioyfull all yee that are vpright in hart As if he should say Let others reioyce in the riches and honours of the world others in noblenes of birth others in the friendship and fauours of Princes others in the excellencie of theyr dignities but reioyce and glory ye in deed truth in
the desires and affections of our appetite are brought into such order that they are stilled quieted and content with that part and portion that happeneth vnto them according to the disposition of the vpper portion of the soule For there the part concupiscible thinketh her selfe satisfied when she seeth her sister contented and so the whole man resteth and is quieted by reason of the participation and tast of the chiefest good Fourthly this peace proceedeth from the testimony and inward ioy of a good conscience which bringeth great quietnes and tranquillity to the soules of the righteous although it doth not make them vtterly secure for they doe not remaine without the care and dread of holy feare Lastly this feare is engendered of hope which the righteous haue in the Lord for that maketh them quiet after a singuler manner and comforteth men in the midst of the tribulations and torments of this life because they are strengthened with the anchor of holy hope that is they hope that they haue God theyr father theyr tutor theyr defender and buckler vnder whose shadow and shield they not without good cause liue securely singing with the Prophet I will lay me downe and also sleepe in peace for thou Lord onely makest me dwell in safety For hence springeth and ariseth the peace of the righteous and a remedy in all theyr troubles neyther haue they any cause to feare or lament who haue such an helper Of the ninth priuiledge of Vertue that God heareth the prayers of the righteous and reiecteth the prayers of the wicked CHAP. XXI THey that embrace and seeke after Vertue haue yet another priuiledge besides those which hetherto we haue spoken of that is that their prayers are heard of God and this vnto them is a notable and an excellent comfort and a singuler helpe in all their necessities and miseries of this life For the vnderstanding of this priuiledge we must know that there haue beene two vniuersall deluges and drownings of this world the one materiall the other spirituall and they both had one cause that is sin The materiall deluge that was in the time of Noah left nothing aliue in the worlde but those that were in the Arke for the waters couered all things so that the Sea deuoured the earth with all the labours and riches of men But there was another flood before that much greater then this for it did not onely hurt and endamage the men of that age but it brought deadly destruction to all the men of the ages past present and to come neyther did it onely hurt their bodies but also theyr soules for it spoyled them of all the riches of grace which the world had receaued by the meanes of him that was first formed And in this miserable estate all things as yet continue as we may see in euery creature which newly commeth into this world being naked and disfurnished of all the goods as well of the soule as of the body From this first deluge all those miseries beggeries and calamities are deriued to which mans life is subiect which are so many and so great that learned Wryters and graue Doctors of the Church haue written large and copious volumes of this matter Philosophers also very learned on the one part considering the dignity of man aboue all other lyuing creatures and on the other vnto what great miseries and vices he was subiect they could not wonder sufficiently at it seeing so great disorder and misgouernment in the world for they vnderstoode not the cause which was sinne For they did note and marke that onely man amongst so many liuing creatures enioying so many thousand kindes of pleasures and desires of the flesh was vexed with couetousnes ambition and insatiable desire to liue neither with these bonds his misery to be limitted but that hee must thinke of his death and buriall and what shall become of him after death There is not any liuing creature that hath a nature more fraile or inflamed with greater gurmandize or couetousnes neyther that feareth more vainely or more rageth through anger They did also see that other lyuing creatures did passe the greater part of their life without sicknesses and infirmity without the helpe of Phisitions and that all necessaries were prouided for them without their labour or industry But on the contrary part they did see that miserable man was exposed and layd open to a thousand infirmities mischaunces necessities and greefes as well of soule as of body both for himselfe and for his friends That which is past greeueth him that which is present afflicteth him that which is to come terrifieth him and that oftentimes he laboureth and taketh paynes all his life long for a morsell of bread and a mouth full of water to sustaine himselfe with all Neyther can I so soone make an ende to speake of these miseries of mans life of which blessed Iob sayth The life of man is a warfare vpon earth and his dayes as the dayes of an hireling This same thing with so great tediousnes afflicted those auntient vvise-men that there be some found amongst them who feared not to say that they doubted whether Nature was a mother vnto vs or not much rather a stepdame which hath exposed vs to so great miseries Another sayd That it is the best for man neuer to haue beene borne and the next soone after to dye Neyther erred he that sayd That many would not haue desired life if they had made tryall of it before If therfore our life be thus deformed through sinne and our chiefest renowne and principall good lost through this deluge what remedy hath he left for man who so grieuously hath punished mankinde Tell me what remedy hath a lame and a weake sickly man who sayling vpon the Sea looseth at one mischance all his riches I know what thou wilt say vnto me If hee haue not whereon to liue sayst thou neyther hath ability to traffique by reason of his infirmity it followeth of necessity that he must begge Goe to then if man in that vniuersall deluge lost what so euer he had and scarcely escaped the danger poore and naked what other remedy is left vnto him then that like a most needy begger he call and cry at the gates of the Lord This King Iehosophat teacheth plainely when he sayth Lord when wee are ignorant what we ought to doe we haue onely this remedy that we may lift vp our eyes towards thee To this agreeth King Hezechias From day to night sayth he wilt thou make an ende of me Like a young Swallow so did I chatter I did mourne as a Doue As if he should haue sayd I am so poore and I doe so depend of thy mercy and prouidence that not one day I am assured of my lyfe Therefore all my exercise shall be alwaies to mourne grone poure out my sighes before thee as a Doue and I will call and cry out
Saint Isidore doth consent vnto this He that would sayth he be certaine of the remission of his sins in the houre of death let him repent whilst he is in health and then let him lament deplore his iniquitie and wickednes But he that hath liued wickedly and repenteth at the houre of his death it is most certaine that he is in very great ieopardy For euen as his damnation is vncertaine so also his saluation is doubtfull Surely these words are very dreadfull but those more fearefull which Eusebius the Scholler of Saint Ierome writeth and which his glorious holy Maister spoke being at the poynt of death stretching him selfe vpon the earth arrayed in rugged and course Sack-cloth but because I dare not relate them with that rigour that they are written least I should minister occasion of distrust and despaire to those that be weake and faint-harted let him that pleaseth reade them he shall finde them in the fourth tome of saint Ieromes workes in a certaine Epistle of Eusebius to Byshoppe Damasus as touching the death of Saint Ierome whose beginning is To the most reuerent Father c. Where amongst other things hee sayth But some man will say That man that hath done wickedly all the time that he liued and repenting at the houre of his death he shall obtaine pardon of God Alas how vaine a supposall and how false a meditation Scarcely of an hundred thousand men whose lifes haue alwaies beene wickedly led scarcely I say one deserueth fauour at Gods hands A man altogether borne and brought vp in sin who hath neither seene nor acknowledged GOD neither is willing to heare of him neither knoweth when he sinneth nor what repentance is vnlesse perhaps he sometimes dreame of it and altogether intangled in worldly busines whom the loue of his children whoÌ„ he must forsake oppresseth whom infirmitie amateth vvhom the losse and griefe of riches and temporall blessings shaketh excruciateth because he seeth that he can no longer enioy them what repentance can he bring forth acceptable to God which he at all would not bring forth nor once medle with if he had any hope of recouery Certainly I will conclude as I thinke he that whilst he is young strong feareth not to offend God in death he deserueth not to finde any fauour of God What repentance is that my beloued children which a man onely maketh for this respect because he seeth that hee can liue no longer Who if he should recouer of his sicknes would becom worser then he was before I haue knowne many peny-fathers and helhound vsurers who may rightly be termed the deuils Alcumists or the deuils Mint-maisters that haue beene sorry and penitent when they haue thought that there was no way with them but death but after that they haue beene recouered their lifes haue beene a great deale more wicked and detestable then it was before This I hold this I thinke to be true this I haue lerned by long experience that his end is not good whose life was alwayes euill who feared not to sinne but alwaies liued in the vanities of the world Hetherto Eusebius by whose words it is manifest how suspected that repentance was to this holy Doctor Ierome which was made at the houre of death of him who had continued in sinne all the time of his life Neyther heere the iudgement of S. Gregory is to be kept close as concerning this matter who vpon these words of Iob For what hope hath the hypocrite though he be nâ—uer so couetous if God take away his soule Will God heare his cry when trouble commeth vpon him sayth God heareth not his cry in the time of trouble who in the time of peace and prosperity hath not heard the Lord crying vnto him in his commaundements For it is written Hee that turneth away his eare from hearing the law his prayer shall be abhominable Therefore the holy man beholding how those that contemne the law and all right paths doe at the last cast conforme themselues vnto prayer sayth Will God heare his cry Those words doe iumpe with those of our Sauiour who sayth Afterward came also the foolish Virgins saying Lord Lord open to vs. And it shall be answered vnto them Verily I say vnto you I know you not Because then so much the more seuerity shall be vsed by how much the more mercy hath now beene extended and then iudgement shall be seuerely and strictly executed vpon them whom now persisting in sinne mercy patiently wayted vpon These be S. Gregories words Another Doctour of the Church sayth It is a hard thing that then that is at the poynt of death true repentance should be when it commeth so late When as anguish and payne tormenteth the body and greefe oppresseth the sences scarcely can a man thinke of any other thing Greatly suspicious ought that repentance to be which seemeth constrayned The coniecture is easie that a man should thinke that himselfe is vnwilling to doe that which he hath no ability to doe Possibility doth very well proue the willingnes If thou doost not whilst thou mayst thou manifestly shewest that thou art vnwilling to doe Another Doctour of the Church doth also subscribe to all this Seeing therefore sayth he that a fruitfull repentance is not the worke of a man but of God by his mercy he can inspire it whensoeuer he will and reward those by his mercy whom he could condemne by his iustice But because there are many things that hinder and hold backe the sicke partie and him that languisheth and faynteth through sicknes it is dangerous and neere vnto destruction to protract and defer repentance till death But a meruailous great thing is it if God at that time inspire any man with true repentance Consider I pray thee how fearefull and dreadfull these words be Who then is so bold and audacious that dare expose this great treasure to so great hazard Is there any thing more precious in this world then saluation Who therfore is so inconsiderate and vnaduized that dareth presume to say that he doth not passing ill that committeth so great treasure to such danger These be the iudgements of the holy Doctours by whom we may euidently gather how great theyr folly and madnes is without an especiall care to sayle ouer this so dangerous a Sea of which the most expert and experienced Mariners haue spoken so doubtfully and with so great feare To dye well is an Art which ought to be learned all 〈◊〉 life long For in the houre of death so many and so great are the discruciatements that cause death that scarce remayneth any time to learne to dye well ¶ The authority of Schoole Doctours concerning this matter IT remayneth now for the greater confirmation of this matter that we see what the Schoole Doctours thinke of it Among others there is one that excellently handleth this matter agreeing in all things vnto vs putting and inferring this conclusion Repentance
man page 55 What mischiefe sinnes worke to the soule ibidem The beauty of a iustified soule page 56 By iustification God dwelleth in vs page 57 Iustification doth make vs the liuely members of Christ ibidem Confidence in prayer page 58 Christ is honoured when a righteous man is honoured ibid. By iustification eternall life is giuen ibidem Iustification is of greater value then creation 59 How to know whether we be iustified or not ibidem Of many effects which the holy Ghost worketh in a iustified soule 60 Graces wayting vpon the holy Ghost ibidem After what manner the holy Ghost sitteth in the soule of a righteous man and what he doth there ibidem The holy Ghost is fire a doue a cloud a wind ibidem page 61. The sixt Chapter The sixt Title That the inestimable benefit of the Diuine predestination doth bind vs vnto Vertue page 63. The matters handled in this Chapter Election is the foundation of all benefits page 64. Perseuerance in goodnes is a signe of election ibidem The circumstances in election are to be considered page 65. An Apostrophe to a begger but elected page 67. The seauenth Chapter The seauenth Title That man is bound to follow and embrace Vertue by reason of the first of those foure last things which happen vnto him which is death page 69. The matters handled in this Chapter A rehearsal of the foure last things that happen vnto man to wit Death Iudgement Heauen and Hell Ibidem A terrible and fearefull history out of Climacus 70 Death certaine but the houre of death vncertaine 71 Th◠danger in which he that dieth is 74 Feare the mightiest perturbation of the mind 75 The Sunne goeth downe at noone to the wicked ibidem The things that before seemed pleasant in death are bitter ibidem The accout that shall be required of vs. 76. The history of Arsenius out of the life 's of the Fathers 77 The history of Agathon out of the same booke ibidem A fearefull example of one Stephanus that led a solitary life out of Climacus ibidem Why the Saints doe feare in death 79. Nothing is of force in the houre of death 80 The lamentation of a sinner at the houre of death page 81 The eight Chapter The eyght Title That man is bound to desire Vertue by reason of that second last thing that happeneth vnto him which is the last iudgement page 82 The matters handled in this Chapter The shame of sinners in the last iudgement page 84 How fearefull the sentence of the Iudge is ibidem The paines of the damned 85 The blasphemies of the damned ibidem For what sinnes men are damned 88 Certaine excellent comparisons that agrauate the paines of the damned and the terrour of the last iudgement page 90 Repentance too late ibidem Our accusers in the last iudgement ibidem The ninth Chapter The ninth Title That man is bound to the exercise of Vertue by reason of the third last thing that happeneth vnto him which is the glory of heauen page 91 The matters handled in this Chapter What things are handled in this Chapter to wit the reward of the vertuous which is the glory of heauen in which two things are to be looked vnto the beauty of the place and the dignity of the King ibidem The beauty of heauen is gathered by coniectures ibidem The first coniecture is from the end why heauen was made 92 The second coniecture that it was not onely made for Gods honour but also for the honour of his elect page 93. The thyrd coniecture the price by which it was purchased by the death of God page 95 The fourth coniecture the situation and height of the place 97 The fift coniecture the proportion of the three kinde of places 98. The sixt coniecture the inhabitants dwelling in heauen 99 The power of the Lord. page 92 Reasons why Heauen should be absolute and perfect 93 All things obey the righteous euen in this world ibid. Christ gaue more to his Saints then he vsed himselfe page 94 The price that must be giuen for the celestiall glory 95 The quantitie and quality of the glory of heauen is argued by the greatnes of the place page 97 The beauty of the earth ibidem Three kind of places appointed to men of God 98 From the noblenes of the inhabitants wee may gesse of the glory of heauen page 99 Essentiall glory ibidem God is the perfection of all things 100 God is all in all ibidem The mistery of Circumcision 101 All things are to be suffered for the heauenly glory 102 The tenth Chapter The tenth Title That the last of those foure last things that happen vnto vs that is Hell-fire doth binde vs to seeke after Vertue 104 The matters handled in this Chapter There are but two wayes ibidem The greatnes of the punishment in hell by reason of the greatnes of God page 105. The greatnes of the iustice of God 107 The greatnes of the punishmens of hell is gathered by the punishments of thys lyfe ibidem Of the mercy of God the greatnes of the punishment is gathered 108 The two commings of Christ compared 109 The punishment ought to be like to the sinne page 111 From the person of the executioner that is of the deuill the greatnesse of the punishment is gathered page 112 A fearefull and horrible example of one Theodorus out of S. Gregories Dialogues ibidem A description of the deuils power page 114 The Conclusion page 115 Of the eternity of these punishments 116 A fearefull saying of the eternity of the punishments in hell ibid. A notable Allegory of the Furnace which King Nabuchodonozer commaunded to be heate in Babilon 118 ¶ The second part of the first booke In this second part are handle◠the temporal and spirituall blessings which in this lyfe are promised to Vertue and more particularly the twelue more notable and famous priuiledges prerogatiues which are found in Vertue page 120 The Chapters of the second part of the first booke The eleuenth Chapter The eleuenth Title That we are bounde vnto Vertue by reason of the inestimable blessings which are promised in this present life ibid. The matters handled in this Chapter It is a wonder that among Christians so many men are found wicked and vicious ibidem Whence this negligence of men is page 121 All things happen a like to the good and euill ibidem Men are ignorant of those good things that are in Vertue page 123 Vertue like vnto Christ. ibidem Helpes of God by which we ouercome the difficulty of Vertue 124 Vertue is an habite ibidem A comparison of the life of good men and ill men 125 Diuine blandishments with which the righteous are cherished 126 Good men are truly rich 127 All thys afore-sayd is explaned by a notable sentence of the Gospel ibid. What Christ meaneth by the hundreth fold in the tenth of Marke 128 What goods be those that God bestoweth vpon the good ibidem To the
Martyrs 521 The cruell Martyrdome of constant and religious Corona 522 An horrible kind of Martyrdome in Nicomedia ibidem FINIS Onely his Meditations in English done by ANONYMVS And his Manuell in the Germane tonge translated by Philippus Doberniner Exod. 3. The deuision of the Booke Two things required to pietie A similitude 1. Iohn 5 Cicero in the first booke of his offices Math 16. Honestie Profit are to be considered of in euery action GOD is that he is Epicures teach that God is to be serued A similitude Apoc. 19. The kingdome of God is not by succession Bernard in his 83. Sermon vpon the Canticles Why men are lesse moued with the perfection of God In the contemplation of God we must turne our eyes froÌ„ al creatures Exod 24. 1. Kings 19 Ess 6 A similitude Psal. 18 1 Tim. 6. A similitude Iob 5. In the 27 Booke of his Morals cap. 36. In his mistâ—call Theologie 〈◊〉 1. Psal 65. In his book of Soliloquies Cap. 1 Three things are to be marked in euery thing the Being the Ability and the Worke. Eccle. 11. Psalm 50 Honour is due to God because he is our father Mal. 1. Dâ—ut 32. By the consideration of the creation man doth come to the knowledge of his Creator Ezech. 29. Augustine in one of his Soliloquies ca. 31. Exod 12 Exod. 13. Exod. 16. GOD requireth of vs gratefulnes and thanksgiuing Exod. 17. Gen. 41. Epictetus That the benefits of nature are of God All things that are borne are not by and by perfect A similitude Psalm 119. Prou 13. All things without God are nothing A similitude In his mysticall Theologie ca. 4. All things created for the vse of man The expostulation of the elemeÌ„ts with man The creatures do cal vpon vs with three words The saying of Epictetus Rom. 12. A similitude Men like vnto swine A similitude See Aulus Gellius in the 5. booke 14. chap. The notable gratitude of a Lyon Plinie lib 8. cap. 17. The like to this is reported of Henricus Leo Duke of Saxonie See Krantius in his Saxonie lib. 6. cap. 34. The gratitude of horses Plinie lib. 8 cap. 42. The gratitude of doggs Plinie lib. 8. cap. 40. Ditmarus in the first booke of his Chronicle Diuers degrees of ingratitude A similitude A similitude Men doe abuse the gifts of God to the iniurie of the giuer Iob 34. A similitude The beginning of mans perdition 4 Kings 5. The admirable misterie of the incarnation Wee are bound to God not onely for our RedeÌ„ption but for the manner of it Iob 35 The means by which we are redeemed The Angels were astonished at the passion of our Lord Exod. 34. 3. Reg. 19. The Lord suffered not onely for all in generall but also for euery one in particuler For three things man oweth himselfe vnto GOD. The hardnes of mans hart Iohn 12. Ose. 11. Gâ—n 39. All things are giuen vs of God 1 Cor. 3. By how many wayes god is ours In the sixt booke of his Hexaemeron A dogge bewrayeth a murtherer Our sinnes nayled the Lord to the Crosse. A similitude What iustification is No man can be iustified by his own streÌ„gth Iohn 6. A similitude Iustification what great blessings it bringeth with it 1. It reconcileth man to GOD. Psalme 5. It maketh vs the sons of God 1. Iohn 3. 2 By iustification man is freed from eternall punishment 3. Iustification doth renue a man What mischiefe sins work to the soule The beauty of a iustified soule 4. By iustification God dwelleth in vs. A similitude Math. 12. Luke 11. Iohn 14. 5. Iustification doth make vs the liuely members of Christ. Confidence in prayer Christ is honoured wheÌ„ a righteous man is honored Act. 9. 6. By iustification eternal life is giuen Rom. 8. 2 Cor. 4. Iustification of greater value then creation Augustine vpon Iohn Howe to know whether we be iustified or not Graces waiting vpon the holie Ghost After what manner the holy Ghost sitteth in yâ— soule of a righteous man and what hee doth there The holy Ghost is fire A Doue A cloude A wind Psalm 118 Psalm 119 Augustine vpon the 144. psalme Gene 42 In his 8. homilie of the Passeouer To a certaine Virgine Psalme 71 Augustine vpon the 71. psalme Iohn 6 Ephe. 1. Psalm 65 Election is the foundation of all benefits Iere 31 Rom. 8. A similitude Perseuerance in good a signe of election 1 Cor. 1. Prouerbs 22. Luke 10. The circumstances in election are to be considered An Apostrophe to a begger but elected A similitude 2 Pet. 1. The â—â—â—â—bring rehearsall of those things that he will speake of Ecclus 7. In his lâ—dder to Paradice in the 6. staire A terrible feareful historie Ecclus 7â— Death certaine but the houre of deaâ—h vncertaine A similitude The danger in which he that dyeth is Amos. 8. Feare the mightiest perturbation of the minde When the sunne goeth downe at noone to the wicked Those thinges which before seemed pleasant in death are bitter Ecclesiasticus 43. The account that shall be required of vs. Psalm 143. Arsenius In the life 's of the fathers Part 2 §. 153. Agathon in the sâ—me booke §. 51 In his ladder to Paradice in the 7 staire A fearefull example of one Stephanus that led a solitarie life Why the Saints doe feare in death In the 4. booke of his Morrals chap. 2. In the 11. booke of his Morrals chap. 21. In the 24. booke of his Morrals chap. 7. Note 1 Peter 4. 3 Reg. 25. Nothing is of force in the houre of death Prou 11 The lamentation of a sinner Psalm 18. 2 Cor. 5. Iob. 13. Iob. 14. Math. 12. The shame of sinners in the last iudgment Ose. 10. How fearefull the sentence of the Iudge is Math. 25. Iob 26. Iob 21. Apoc. 18 The paines of the damned The blasphemies of the damned Iob 3. Iob 24. Wisdom 5. In the 22. homily to the people of Antioch For what sinnes men are damned Math 15. Ierem. 9. Psalm 95. Psalm 6 Math 16 Gene 3 Mala 3. Exod 19 Psalm 49 Luke 16. Certaine excellent comparisons Repentance too late Our accusers Ambroâ—e vpon Luke VVhat things are handled in this chapter The beauty of heauen is gathered by coniectures The first coniecture is the end Prouer 16. Esther 1. Esay 25. The power of the Lord. Reasons why heauen should be absolute perfect The second coniecture Iohn 12. All things obey the righteous euen in this world Iosua 10. 4 Kings 20. 3 Kings 17 18. 4 Kings 13. Acts 5. Christ gaue more to his Saints then hee vsâ—d himselfe Gen. 22. 2 Reg 7. The 3. coniecture The price that must be giuen for the celestiall glory Apoc. 21 The fourth coniecture The quantity qualitie of the glory by the greatnes of the place Psalm 26. The beauty of the earth The 5. coniecture Three kind of places appointed to men of GOD. The 6 coniecture From the noblenes of the inhabitants Psal. 83. Essentiall glory God is the
solitary and monasticall lyues A wonderfull and excellent saying of Petrus Damianus of the oureof death Nothing auaileth in death but vertue Prou. 11. Ecclesiast 1. Apoc. 14. Iob. 11. In the 10. booke of his Morals Cap. 21. Prou. 14. The righteous feareth not in the houre of death Paulinus in the life of Ambrose In death prosperity doth nothing profit nor aduersity hurt A similitude Apoc 22 Math 19 Vertue hath one inconuenience Math 13 Esay 14 Psalm 144. â— Kings 1. Psalm 34 Prou 20 Cant 8 Ecclesi 32. Prou. 18. Diuers refuges of sinners Againt theÌ„ that defer their repentance August in the 8 booke of his confessions the 5. chap. The stâ—te of the question Gregory in an homily Luke 12. Apoc. â— The iust iudgement of God Ecclesi 5. Causes froÌ„ whence the difficulty of conuersion ariseth Ierome vnto Celantia Chap. 4. Bernard Luke 11 Esay 62 Osea 7 and the 9. Apoc 11 A similitude A similitude Whether nowâ— or hereafter it is more easie to turne vnto God A similitude Ecclus 10 The force of euillcustome A similitude The Allegory of Lazarus foure dayes dead The losse of time A similitude See August his tenne strings The sinnes which wee nowe commit wee heereafter shal deplore lament in vaine Psal. 6. A similitude The reliques of sinne remaine after the sinne How absurd a thing it is to reserue thy repeÌ„tance for old age A similitude Seneca in his book of the shortnes of life The greatnes of the satisfaction Deferring of repentance a certaine infidelity Greg. in his Morals Repentance is not to be deferred in regard of benefits receaued at Gods hand Ecclesi 18. Not to be deferred in regard of predestination We offer the best part to the world the worst to God Seneca in his 109. Epi. Mal. 1. Deut. 25. What we owe vnto God in respect of our redemtion Eccles. 12. An excellent exposition of this place of Eccles. The conclusion of the first obiection Ecclus 25 Ecclus 17. Iohn 5. Psalm 95 It is dangerous to dispute of finall repentance Ezech. 35 Augustine of true and false repentance ca 17 In the same place To be conuerted what it is In his exhortation to repentaÌ„ce which forthwith foloweth in his second booke of repentance The iudgement of Isidore In the ninth tome of Plantynes edition a little before the end Greg in his 18 book of his Morals chap. 5. Iob. 27. Prou. 28. Math. 25. The conclusion of the Schoole man The first reason of the Schoole man The euill disposition and temperature of the body is an impediment of coÌ„templation The 2 reason of the Schole-man Aug. in hys booke of true false repentance chap 17. 2 Kings 16 2 Kings 19 3 Kings 2. A similitude The thyrd reason of the Schole-man The fourth reason of the School-man Prou â— Math 24 Math. 25. August in an Epistle to Dios. Many miraculous and wonderful things reserued to the comming of Christ. Euseb. Emiss of the good theefe A similitude 2 Cor. 11. Psal. 62. The iudgements of God A similitude Eccles. 3. An obiection of the repentance of the Niniuites Heb 12 2 Macha 9 Hester 4 Deut 32 Esay 55 Psalm 129 The difference between the true Prophets and the false Ierem 37 Psalm 90 Whence the Diuine iustice is knowne A similitude All men ought to feare Whence feare is in-gendered The beginning of the wayes of the Lord. The fall of deuills Esay 14 The fall of Adam Gen. 7. Gen. 19. Numb 16. Leuit. 10 Acts 5. The hidden and secret iudgements of God Luke 23. The great infidelity of men 2 Kings 2. Ierem 5 Chap 8 In the foresaid chap. Esay 61 2 Reg 24 Ecclus 23 Psalm 69 Saint Augustine Psalm 147 Luke 13 Math 7 1 Pet 3. Eccles 1 Math 26 A similitude 1 Tim. 2. What it is to trust in God Ecclesi 5. The promises of God belong to the righteous and the thretnings to the vnrighteous Psal. 11. Esd. 8. Psal. 37. Psal. 4. August in his 11. homily among his 50. Bernard in his 56. Sermon amongst his small ones Vertue a friend vnto reason Gal 5. Rom 7. 4 Kings 6. Psal. 119. Psalm 19 Math 1 Esay 40 Esay 10 FroÌ„ whence the difficultie of vertue ariseth Ezech 11. Rom 4. Esay 41 For what end the reliques of sins euill appetites remaine in vs. Psalm 27 Another obiection with the answer Deut. 30. Spirituall circumcisioÌ„ Deut. 10. Augustine A similitude Esay 26. The commaundements of God are not impossible Deut. 30. 2 Iohn 5. August of holy widdowhood In the 13. book of his coÌ„fessions Rom. 8. Petrus Rauennas vppon that Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God c. Those things which are vncleane to the world are cleane to the righteous Exod. 8. Acts 5 Bernard in his small Sermons chap. 30. A similitude Prou 4 The way of the wicked hard and difficult Psalm 119 Psalm 17 Psalm 119 Math 11 Osea 11 Exod 3 2 Cor 4 Esay 40 The great changes â—lterations which the hand of the highest worketh The disciples of Christ were on a suddaine made learned Cyprian in his 2 book and 2 Epist. Augustine in the 8 book of his Confessions Chap. 11. Chap. 11. In the 9 book of his Confessions chap. 1. What euils are in the world No felicitie of the world lasting Eccles 11 Wisdom 5 Esay 29 Baruch 3 Some miseries are coÌ„mon both to the good and euill some proper onely to the wicked Wisdom 5 Euils of GOD. Gene 4 Deut 7. PunishmeÌ„ts inflicted vpon the wicked by the Ministers of God The euils that passions bring Psal. 11. Athanasius in the life of Saint Anthony Prou. 6. Ecclesi 13. The blindnes of men See Cyprian in his 2 booke and 2 Epistle Psal. 14. Hosea 4. Ierem 9 Psalm 55 Gene 25 What the world is Psalm 55. S. Bernard The world a hell Obiectiue beatitude A similitude Onely God can satisfie the hart of man The nature of the Seamans needle Psal. 45. S. Gregory deplored the losse of his quiet sweet solitary life Aug. of the manners of the Church 1. booke 3. chap. No man happy in this world Eccle 1 Psalm 4. Psalm 31. The world an hypocrite S. Augustine In vertue all perfections are found Plato Prou 3. Psal. 112. Psal. 9. Cicero in Loeli A similitude Vertue is loued in an enemy Rom. 8. Gen. 31. Psalm 119. In the same Psalm Wisdom 8. Cyprian in his 2 book and 2 Epist. Baruch 3 Ierem 9 Euill cuâ—toâ—e A similitude The world The deuill Ecclesiast 2 Moe for vs then against vs. A firme resolution is to be planted in the soule A similitude Iorome in the life of Paule the Hermite A similitude The proposition of this Booke Ezech â— A similitude 1 Iohn 2 Tob 4. August to a certaine Earle Bernard in a certaine Sermon Bernard in a Sermon 1 Cor 15. Wisdom 6. A saying of Tigranes King of the Armenians 1 Peter 5. Greg. in the 9. book of his Morals Chap. 11 Iob 9. See Bernard
glory Doe not therfore run ouer these things carelesly slightly sleepingly as without aduisement thou doost read ouer many other things oftentimes passing ouer many leaues desirous to see an end before thou hast wel examined the beginning but I would that thou sitte as a Iudge in the iudgement seate of thine hart that thou heare all these words with silence quie tnes of mind These things are not to be posted ouer hastily but to be looked to heedfully discreetly because in thē are handled the whole regiment of thy life and what soeuer thereupon dooth depend Consider howe thou wouldest that all the businesses of thys worlde should bee ordered and appointed for in determining these things one mans opinion cannot suffice thee but haue an eye that they be seene to examined scanned of sundry Doctors Aduocates and Iudges least happily thou offend in them Wherefore seeing that in this case we doe not speak of earth but of heauen not of thine but of thy selfe haue an earnest care that this thing bee not considered of slothfully and negligently but with the greatest attention If thou hast erred hetherto now at the length cast with thy selfe that thou art regenerated and borne againe and beginne to enter into iudgement with thy selfe and cut off the thred of thine errors and begin by another way to vntwist this webbe O who will nowe so blesse my labours that thou maist now credite mee and harken vnto me with attentiue eares and that like a good Iudge thou mayst pronounce thy sentence and iudgement according to those things which are spoken and approued vnto thee for this thy resolution should be truelie blessed and thy labour exceeding profitable I know assuredly that I request too much and that a wryting cannot be found so effectuall and preuailing that may effect and performe this request therefore in the beginning of this my worke of what esteeme or value soeuer it bee I intreat this one thing that he who is the power and wisedom of his Father who hath the key of Dauid that he may shutte and open heauen to whom he will would be heere present and so temper these my writings that they may yeeld a perswasiue spirit lyfe to those who shall reade them But if I shall gette no fruite of thys my labour yet this shall be a recompence sufficient for mee that I haue satisfied mine owne desire delight and that once I haue filled glutted my selfe in praysing commending a thing greater then all praise as Vertue is especially seeing that of a long time I haue longed and wished to apply my minde to this studie This also I haue obserued throughout all this worke which also I haue doone in all the rest of my labours that I might fitte and apply my selfe to all sorts and estates of men spirituall and not spirituall Clergie and Laitie that as the cause and necessitie is common so also this Treatise might bee as common For the good reading this shall be confirmed in the loue of Vertue being deeplie grafted into it they shall take deepe roote in it they that be not good perhaps shall vnderstand by this what they haue lost and forgon With thys our labour good Parents may instruct and teach theyr chyldren when they are but young that they may be accustomed from theyr infancie to haue Vertue in honor reuerence and to bee studious of it seeing it is the greatest ioy that a Father hath to see his sonne whom he loueth to bee a louer of Vertue honest in very deede and beautified adorned with all kinde of Vertue This doctrine moreouer will be especially profitable to thē whose dutie it is in the Church to teach the people and to perswade them to embrace Vertue for heere are deliuered in order the chiefest instructions titles and reasons which make vs debtors vnto Vertue to the which also as to common places euery thing may bee reduced which is written of this matter And seeing that heere are handled those graces and blessings which are promised in this world to Vertue which are displaied and vnfolded in her twelue notable and famous preheminences and prerogatiues and seeing that it is true that we haue all these good things and blessings by Christ it consequently followeth that this doctrine shal bring much light to the vnderstanding of the holy Scriptures especially to those places which intreate of the misterie of Christ and the inestimable benefite of our Redemption of the which amongst others the Prophet Esay Salomon in his Canticles and such others doe write more of purpose THE ARGVMENT OF THE FIRST BOOKE THIS first Booke Christian Reader dooth containe a large exhortation to Vertue which is the watchman and keeper of the commandements of GOD in which consisteth true Vertue This Booke is deuided into three principall parts In the first part Vertue is perswaded to be embraced of vs with those reasons and common arguments which are wont chiefely to bee alledged of the holie and auncient Fathers as are those bonds by the which we are bound to our Lord GOD as well by that which hee is in himselfe as by that which he is for vs by reason of his inestimable benefits and also by the necessitie of Vertue herselfe which is prooued and layd open vnto vs by the foure last things which are Death Iudgement Heauenly-glory and Hell And these are handled in the first part In the second part the same thing is conuinced and prooued manifestly by other newe reasons as are the commodities and profits of grace which are promised in this life to the students louers of Vertue Heere the twelue particuler prerogatiues and priuiledges are rehearsed by which Vertue is famous renowned and they are handled and discoursed of seuerally and by themselues Which prerogatiues although many times they are touched of the Saints and holy Writers shewing the light the peace the true libertie and ioy of a quiet conscience and the consolations and comforts of the holy Ghost which things the righteous enioy and all those excellent benefits which are circumscribed within Vertues circumference yet neuer any man was seene or read of me who handled this matter so copiously and in that order as wee doe Therefore it hath not beene vnto mee a little trouble or a small labor to bring together into one head all these things out of diuers places of Scripture to call thē by their propper names to reduce them into order to declare and display them and to approue euery one of them seuerally by diuers testimonies of the Scriptures and of the Fathers This diligence was very necessarily bestowed that they who are not mooued to loue Vertue for the hope of the good to come because it seemes to be farre off frō them at the least that they might bee moued with the profite of that inestimable good which Vertue affoordeth in this world But because it suffiseth not to produce all the reasons which proue
if God doth but a little draw backe his hand thou necessarily commest to naught how is it possible that thou darest prouoke to wrath that Diuine Maiestie which sustaineth thee euen in that same time wherein thou offendest him For as Dionisius sayth the vertue and goodnes of the chiefest Good is so excellent that the creatures when they are immorigerous and disobedient doe receaue of his immeasurable vertue the Being and Ability by which they striue and strugle against him that they may both Be and be able to repugne him Which seeing that it is so how darest thou offend with thy members and sences that Lord who preserueth thee O great blindnes ô intollerable rebellion Who euer saw so impudent a conspiracy The members doe rise against the head of which their life and death dependeth The day will come when this iniury shall be manifestēd and the complaints of the diuine honor shal be heard Haue yee conspired against God It is equall and right that the vniuerse of the whole world shold likewise conspire against you and that God should arme euery creature to the reuenge of that iniury and that all the whole circumference of the earth should warre against the ingratefull and those that will not acknowledge this benefit For it is meete that they that would not open their eyes whilst they had time and were inuited of so great a multitude of diuine benefits I say that is meete that their eyes shold be opened by the multitude of torments which neuer shall haue end But what will be done if to these aforesayd we set before thee the plentifull rich and aboundant table of this world which the Lord hath created for thine vse Whatsoeuer is found vnder the cope of heauen is eyther for the vse of man or for the vse of that thing which attendeth and wayteth vpon man for if man be not fed as I may so say with flies that flye in the ayre yet he is fed with those birds which are fed with these flies and if hee eate not grasse and wild hearbs yet he eateth the beasts of diuers sorts and kinds which are nourished with these hearbs Cast and cast againe thine eyes vpon euery corner of the world and thou shalt see how spacious and large the bounds and limits of thy riches are and how plentifull and affluent is thine inheritance Euery thing that goeth vpon the earth that swimmeth in the water that flyeth through the ayre that shineth in heauen is thine But all these benefits are of God and the works of his prouidence are the glasses of his beauty and testimonies of his mercy the sparks of his loue and the reports and prayses of his liberality See how many Preachers God sendeth vnto thee that thou mayst know him All things that are in heauen and in earth sayth Saint Augustine doe tell me that I should loue thee ô my Lord and they doe not cease to make the same proclamation to all men that no man can be excused If thou hast eares that thou canst vnderstand the voyces of the creatures thou shalt perceaue manifestly how they all together teach thee that thou shouldest loue God For all they in holding their peace cry that they were made for thy seruice that thou as well for thy selfe as for them mightest serue both thy Lord theirs Heauen sayth I doe minister vnto thee by day the light of the Sunne and by night the benefit of the Moone and starres that thou shouldest not walke in darknes and I doe giue and send vnto thee diuers influences that diuers things may encrease and breed with thee that thou mayst not perish thtough hunger The ayre sayth I doe apply my selfe vnto thee that thou mayst breathe in me I doe coole and refresh thee I doe temper and moderate thine internall heate least it consume thee I haue in me diuers kinds of birds that by their variety and beauty thine eyes may be delighted thine eares with their singing pleased and thy pallate by their tast contented and satisfied The water sayth I do serue thee in the appoynted times of the yeere with my rayne and showers I doe refresh comfort thee with my riuers and springs I doe bring forth nourish diuers kinds of fishes that they may be meate for thee I doe water thy sowing thy gardens fruitfull trees that thou mayst be nourished with them all I doe giue thee way through the midst of the Sea that thou maist traffique with the whole world and that it may be at thy pleasure to ioyne thy riches with the wealth of another Hemispheare What thinkest thou that the earth will say which is the common mother of vs all as it were the shop and ware-house of all naturall things Truly it will say not without reason I doe beare thee as an vnprofitable lump I thy mother doe carry thee as it were in mine armes I doe prouide thee of necessaries I doe sustaine thee with the fruits of my bowels I haue participatinn communion with all the other elements with all the heauens and I doe pertake of all theyr influences and I doe fruitfully yeeld and giue thee all my benefits To conclude I like a good mother neyther leaue thee in life nor death for in lyfe I doe suffer thee to tread vpon mee with thy feete and doe sustaine and beare thee vp and in death I yeeld thee a place of quiet and rest and I doe hide and enclose thee within my wombe What neede I many words All the world doth cry with a loud voyce Behold with what great loue my Lord and Creator doth affect thee who created me for the loue of thee and willed that I should serue thee for him that thou in like manner shouldest loue and serue him who created me for thee and thee for himselfe These are ô man the voyces of all the creatures marke and giue eare now that there can be no such wicked deafenes as to heare these voyces and to be ingratefull for so great benefits If thou hast receaued a benefit pay thy debt by thankfulnes least thou be plagued vvith the punishment of ingratefull persons For euery one of the creatures as very well sayth a certayne Doctour doe speake to and call vpon man with three words Receaue Render Beware that is receaue a benefit render thy debt and beware of punishment if thou doest not render it But that thou mayst more feruently meditate think vpon these things consider how Epictetus a Philosopher of whom we haue made mention before came to the knowledge of this Diuinity who willeth that in all things created we shold heare and see our Creator saying When the Crow doth crooke and doth fore-shew any change of weather it is not the Crow that doth fore-shew this to thee but God himselfe And if by mans voyce thou be admonished of any thing is it not in like manner God who created man and gaue vnto him power and
me thou didst fast thou didst watch thou didst run hether thether thou didst sweat thou didst weepe and thou didst proue by experience those miseries which my sinnes deserued and yet thou wast without any sinne neyther was there guile found in thy mouth neyther hadst thou offended but wast offended To be briefe for me thou wast taken forsaken of thine denied sold presented now before this Iudge now before that falsely accused before them beaten with fists spette vpon mocked whypped crowned with thornes reuiled with blasphemies hanged vpon the Crosse dead and buried At the length thou didst free me from all euill dying vpon the Crosse and ending thy life thy mother looking on at which time thou wast found in so great neede and misery that in that thine intollerable thirst a small drop of water was denied vnto thee by which thou mightest refresh and coole the heate of thy mouth Not onely thou wast forsaken of all externall things but also of thine owne Father What is worthy of greater admiration then that the God of so great a maiestie should end his lyfe vpon the cursed tree of the Crosse with the title of a malefactour When any man yea of meane estate commeth to that misfortune that he is to be punished with like death for his offence and fault and thou by chaunce dost know him seeing his countenaunce thou canst not sufficiently wonder considering into what an vnhappy estate his misery hath cast hym that hee must vnder-goe a death so cruell and ignominous Wherefore if it be an admirable thing to see a common man of inferiour degree to be compassed with so miserable calamitie what will it be to see not a man but the Lord of all creatures to be so plunged Can a thing be seene with greater admiration then God himselfe to be brought into so great misery for the offences of one malefactour And if by how much the person is more worthy and more noble who is slaine by so much hys case is more admirable and more miserable O yee Angels to whom the height and excellencie of this Lord is so perfectlie knowne vnderstood tel me what was your griefe and discruciatement What was your admiration astonishment when ye saw him hanging vpon the tree The Cherubins whom God in the old Testament commaunded to be placed at the two ends of the Arke of the Couenant theyr faces beeing turned one to another towards the Mercie-seate as though they beheld it admiring wondering doe signifie vnto vs that those high and supreame spirits were astonished when they did see and behold a worke of so great pietie when I say they did see God made the propitiatorie sacrifice of the worlde hanging vpon a tree Nature herselfe stoode astonished and all the creatures were suspended from theyr functions the principalities and powers of heauen were amazed considering this inestimable goodnesse which they knew to be in GOD. What then shall they doe who doe not swimme in waters of so great admiration of the Sea What shal they doe who are not drowned in the Ocean of this goodnes How cannot he but be amazed as another Moses astonished then in the Mount when the figure and patterne of this misterie was reuealed vnto him and he cryed out with a loud voyce The Lord the Lord strong mercifull and gracious slowe to anger and aboundant in goodnesse and truth Beeing able neyther to say nor doe any thing but to proclaime with a high voyce that mercy which God then shewed to him What shall hee doe that couereth not his face as Elias dyd when he saw God passe by him not in the figure of his maiestie but in the forme of his most lowly humility not ouerthrowing Mountaines renting in sunder Rocks by his infinite power but presented to the eyes of a froward Nation commaunding Rocks to be rent and clouen in sunder through his compassion Who then will not shut the eyes of his vnderstanding who will not open the bosome of his will that he may perceiue the greatnesse of thys loue and benefit and loue thys Lord without any meane or measure O the height of loue ô the depth of vnmeasurable humility ô the greatnes of mercy ô the bottomlesse pitte of incomprehensible goodnes O Lord if I bee so greatly indebted to thee because thou hast redeemed me what doe I not owe thee for that manner by which thou hast redeemed me Thou hast redeemed mee with most great dolours with contumelies and ignominies not to be borne in so much that thou wast made a reproch of men and the scorne of the whole vvorld Through thy reproches thou hast honored me through thy accusations thou hast defended me through thy blood thou hast washed me through thy death thou hast raysed me and through thy teares thou hast freed me from euerlasting weeping and gnashing of teeth O good Father who so tenderly louest thy chyldren thou art that good and true Sheepheard which giuest thy selfe foode for thy flocke O thou most faythfull Keeper who lavest down thy life for thy Sheepe which thou tookest to defend keepe vvith what rewards shall I recompence this so great a benefit vvith what teares shall I requite thy weeping vvith what lyfe shall I remunerate thy holy and pure liuing There is too huge and great a difference betweene the life of man and God betweene the teares of the Creator and the creature But if ô man it be apparent vnto thee that thou art not onlie indebted vnto God that hee dyed not onely for thee alone but for the whole world beware thou be not deceiued For so he dyed for all that also he dyed for euery one For by his infinite wisedome all they for whom he suffered were so present to his eyes that they were all comprehended as it were in one and with his vnmeasurable loue he embraced all in generall and euery one in particuler and he so shedde his blood for all as if it had beene for one To conclude his loue was so great and so exceeding that as the holy men of GOD doe say if but one onely amongst all men had been guiltie and faultie yea for him alone he would haue suffered all that which he suffered for all Marke therefore and ponder with thy selfe howe much thou art indebted to thys Lord who hath doone so great thinges for thee and would haue doone much greater if thy necessitie had required greater ¶ Of this afore-said it is gathered how great an offence it is to offend our Sauiour I Would that all creatures would tell mee if any benefit greater if a greater bond if greater fauour thē this may be found Let the whole assembly and company of Angels tell me if God did euer such things for them Who then is he that will refuse to offer himselfe vp wholy a sacrifice to GOD For three causes saith Anselme ô Lord I owe all that to thee that I am First because thou hast created mee
him and leaping at him began to bite him by which thing the wickednes of this priuy murtherer was layd open and vncouered What sayst thou ô man if a dogge be so faithfull for a peece of bread and with so great loue doth affect his Maister Doth ingratitude so please thee that thou wilt suffer thy selfe to be excelled of a dogge in the law of gratitude If thys brutish creture burned with so great anger against the murtherer of hys Maister why art not thou also displeased and out of patience at these which haue killed thy Lord What be they They are thy sinnes these apprehended him these bound him these scourged him these violently drew him to the Crosse. Thy sinnes were the causes of thy Lords death Those cruell butchers and hangmen had not had so great force and power ouer Christ vnlesse thy sinnes had armed them Why then art thou not mad angry why doost thou not whet thy furie against thē which haue slaine thy Lord Wherefore when thou seest thy Lord slaine before thy face and in thy sight and that for thee is not thy loue increased towards him Why doost thou not fret and chafe against thy sinnes which haue procured his death especially seeing that thou art not ignorant that the end of all his sayings dooings and torments was no other then that he might stirre vp anger and hate in our harts against sinne He died that he might kill sinne and that hee might binde and restraine the power of our hands and feete hasting to mischiefe he had hys hands and feete nayled to the Crosse. With what face therefore darest thou liue that all the labors and sweats of Christ for thee should be vaine and of none effect whilst thou still wilt remaine in the same seruitude from which he hath freed thee with the effusion of his owne blood Can it be that thou doost not tremble at the onely mention of sinne when thou seest that God vnder-went terrible and horrible torments that he might destroy and abolish it What could he doe more that he might draw and hold back men striuinglie rushing into sinne then that God himselfe hanging vpon the Crosse might be sent to meete them Who will be so rash and foole-hardie that he dare offend GOD when he seeth before him both Paradice open and hell enlarging her mouth yet it is much greater then that to see God hanging vpon the Crosse. He that is not mooued with thys sight I know not truly vvith what other thing he will be mooued THE FIFT TITLE How wee are bound to follow Vertue by reason of our Iustification CHAP. V. WHat had the benefit of Redemption profited vs if the benefit of Iustification had not followed by which the vertue of that most excellent benefit is applyed vnto vs For euen as a plaister is of no vse if it bee not applyed to the wound or to the diseased place so there had beene no profit of that heauenly medicine if it had not beene applyed by this benefit Which dutie especially appertaineth to the holy Ghost to whom the sanctification of man is attributed For he it is that by his mercie preuenteth a sinner afterwards calleth him and beeing called iustifieth him and beeing iustified directeth him by the paths of righteousnes and so bringeth him by the gyft of perseuerance to the end of his course and race vntill at the length he bestoweth vpon him the crowne of glory for this benefit comprehendeth in it all the other benefits Amongst all these benefits that of Vocation and Iustification is the first which is when as by the vertue of this diuine Spirit the chaynes and snares of sinne beeing broken and burst man escapeth the rule and tyrannie of the deuill is raysed from death to life of a sinner is made righteous of a child of curse malediction is made the child of God Which cannot by any meanes be brought to passe without the peculier help ayde of God which the Lord testifieth in plaine words vvhen hee sayth No man can come to mee except my Father draw him signifying that no strength of mans nature can deliuer a man from sinne and bring him vnto grace vnlesse the arme of the diuine power helpe him Thomas Aquinas dooth thus comment vpon these words Euen as a stone sayth hee alwaies of his owne nature falleth downevvards neyther can lift it selfe vpwards without externall helpe so man by reason of the corruption of sinne dooth alwayes tend downewards that is he doth alwaies slide to the loue and desire of earthly things but if hee be to be lifted vp aboue that is to the loue to a supernaturall desire of heauenly things he hath neede of the right hand of the highest and of the Diuine helpe Thys sentence is to be noted and obserued for by this a man doth come to the knowledge of himselfe and vnderstandeth the corruption of his owne nature and knoweth how necessary the continuall prayer for the Diuine helpe is Therefore that we may returne to our purpose man by his owne strength cannot be deliuered from sinne and brought to grace because necessarily the hande of the Lorde is required which must deliuer him But who can declare what other great benefits are contained in this alone For seeing without all controuersie that by this sinne is banished and expelled out of the soule which ingendereth many euils in it howe great a good will that be which doth cast and driue out all these euills But seeing that the consideration of this benefit doth very much stir vp man to gratitude and to the desire of vertue heere by the way I will declare the great blessings which this onely good is wont to bring with it First by it man is reconciled to God and is brought and admitted to his fauour and friendship For the first and chiefest of all euils which sinne bringeth to the soule is that it maketh man an enemie to God who seeing that he is infinite goodnes aboue all things he hateth and curseth sinne Therefore sayth the Prophet Thou hatest all them that worke iniquitie thou shalt destroy them that speake lyes He addeth furthermore that God abhorreth and detesteth the bloody man and deceitfull Thys is the greatest of all euils and the roote and fountaine of all the rest as on the contrary side to be loued of God is the greatest of all blessings and the cause and originall of them From thys so dangerous an euill by this benefit of Iustification we are deliuered by which wee are reconciled to God and of enemies made friends vnto him and that not in a common degree of friendship but in the highest which may be found of the Father towards the sonne The Euangelist Iohn worthily commendeth this fauour and friendship when he saith Behold what loue the Father hath shewed vnto vs that we should be called and be indeede the sonnes of GOD. He is not content to say
that vvee should be called but he addeth that we are that the base estate and small confidence of man might euidently know the bountifulnes and liberalitie of God and that we might see that it is not a name of honour or title but rather of the deed and thing it selfe But if it be so great an euill to be hated and reprobated of God what great good will it be to be beloued of him and to remaine in his fauour This truly is an Axiome of the Phylosophers that a thing is so much the better by howe much his contrary is worser And therefore it necessarily followeth that that is the chiefest good whose opposite is the chiefest euill as we haue said that that is to be hated of GOD. But if in this world it be esteemed a matter of great moment if any man bee had in honour estimation amongst his Superiors as with the Emperour King or Prince or such great honorable estates I pray thee what will it be to haue found fauour and grace with the highest Prince the supreame Father with the most glorious excellent and noble Lord in comparison of whom al the principalities and dignities of this worlde are as though they were not Which fauour also is so much the greater by hovve much more it is freely gȳuen for it is certaine that as it is vnpossible for a man to be able to doe any thing before hee vvas created whereby he might deserue to be created for then hee was not any thing so also without all doubt is it that he can do nothing after that he is fallen into sinne whereby hee may deserue Iustification not because he is not but because he is euill and hated of God Another benefit followeth this going before that it deliuereth and freeth a man from the condemnation of euerlasting punishment of which hee was guiltie by reason of his sinnes for sinne doth make a man abhominable vnto God no man can liue without Gods fauour without his owne extreame harme Hence is it that the sinners forsaking God because they sinne and contemne him that they deserue to be contemned to be remoued out of the sight of God beeing banished from his company and from his beautifull dwellings and because they forsaking God doe loue the creatures with an inordinate loue it is meete that they should be punished in all things and be tormented with eternall payne to which visible punishments being compared they rather seeme paynted then true To this so great vnhappines that euerlasting worme doth also come which alwayes gnaweth the bowels and conscience of the wicked But what shall I say of the society of those cursed spirits and of all the damned What shall I speake of that obscure and lamentable Region full of darknes and confusion Where there is no order but where continuall horror abideth where no ioy is found no peace no rest no content no hope but perpetuall complayning and euerlasting gnashing of teeth exceeding outragiousnes and fury continuall blasphemy and eternall malediction From all these euils the Lord hath deliuered all them whom he hath iustified who after that they are reconciled to him and receaued into his fauour they are free from this wrath and from the punishment of his vengeance Behold an other benefit more spirituall which is the reformation and renouation of the inward man which was defiled and polluted through sinne For sinne doth not onely depriue the soule of God but also doth spoile and rob it of all supernaturall strength and fortitude and of all other riches and gifts of the holy Ghost with which it was adorned beautified and enriched by and by after that it is depriued of these graces it is wounded maymed and depriued also of the naturall blessings For seeing that man is a reasonable creature and sinne is a work done against reason and seeing that it is naturall that one contrary should destroy an other the consequent is that by how much more sinnes are multiplied by so much more the faculties of the soule are destroyed and disturbed not in themselues but in their aptnes to worke By these meanes sinnes doe make the soule miserable weake sluggish and instable to euery good worke but procline prompt and ready to all euill weake and feeble to resist temptations and flow to walke in the wayes of Gods commaundements They depriue her also of the true liberty and rule of the spirit and they make her the captaine of the deuill the world the flesh and of her owne appetites And by this meanes shee liueth in captiuity more hard and intollerable then that of Babilon and Aegipt Furthermore all the spirituall powers of the soule are made also sluggish and slothfull so that they doe not heare diuine inspirations and heauenly voyces they doe not see the great euils prepared for them they doe not smell the sweete fauour of Vertue nor the most beautifull paths and examples of the Saints they doe not tast how sweet the Lord is neyther doe they feele the scourgings nor acknowledge the benefits by which they are prouoked vnto his loue and besides all these they take away the peace and ioy of the conscience they doe extinguish the heate and seruour of the spirit and doe leaue a man filthy blemished deformed and abhominable in the sight of God and in the sight of all his Saints From all these euils this benefit doth deliuer vs. For so bottomlesse are the mercies of God that he is not content to haue pardoned our faults and to haue receaued man into fauour vnlesse also hee expell all these euils which sinnes bring with them reforming and renuing our inward man By this maner he healeth our wounds he washeth away our spots blemishes he breaketh the bonds of sinne destroyeth the yoake of euill concupiscences deliuereth vs from the seruitude of the deuill mitigateth and aswageth the fury and rage of our peruerse affections and perturbations and doth restore vnto vs the true liberty beauty of our soule doth giue vs the peace and ioy of a good conscience doth reuiue our inward sences doth make them prompt and fit to euerie good worke and slow to any euill Maketh them strong and valiannto resist the temptations of the deuill and doth inrich vs with all good works To be briefe he doth so absolutely renue and repaire our inward man with all his powers that the Apostle calleth such men iustified renued yea new creatures This renuing is so great that when it is made by Baptisme it is called regeneration but when by repentance it is called a resurrection and rising againe not onely because the soule is raysed from the death of sinne to the life of grace but because after a certaine manner it also imitateth the beauty of the future resurrection This is so true that no tongue of man is sufficient to expresse the beauty of a iustified soule This onely knoweth that Spirit that maketh it beautifull and his Temple
his life These therefore sufficiently prooue that saying of the Wiseman to be true Remember thy end and thou shalt neuer doe amisse Goe to therefore if this consideration doth so surely draw a man from sinne let vs carefully runne ouer those things which are wont to be spoken of death that we may obtaine that excellent and notable good Remember therfore my brother that thou art a Christian and a man because thou art a man it is certaine that thou must die because thou art a Christian it is certaine that thou must giue an account of thy lyfe after that thou art dead Heere the fayth that we hold and professe excludeth all doubt and thus the experience teacheth vs vvhich we daily see before our eyes So that no man is free from thys cup but all must drinke of it whether he be Emperour King or whatsoeuer he be That day sometime will be when as thou shalt liue in the morning but shalt not lyue at night That day at the length wil come but when it will be whether to day or to morrowe it is altogether vncertaine in the which thou thy selfe who novve readest these things which we write beeing strong and lustie measuring thy life with longnes of desires and thy dayes vvith multitude of businesses thou shalt see thy selfe lying in a bedde expecting the blow and sentence of fearefull death spred ouer all mankinde from which no man can appeale to any other Iudge But most of all we must consider how vncertaine that houre is for that is wont to come for the most part when it is least looked for and when as man is secure in all things doth least thinke of it but beeing busied and earnest about the businesse and necessities of this life doth cast with himselfe to lyue and ouer-passe many dayes For which cause it is sayde that it commeth like a theese in the night who is wont then to come when as men doe soundly sleepe and beeing secure doe thinke of nothing lesse then of the theft so neerly hanging ouer them Before death come great and grieuous infirmities goe before which are to be considered with all their accidents griefes vexations molestations loathings decocted syrrups fumigations pills gargarismes and other medicines and also of the long nights which at thys time bring much teadiousnesse and wearinesse For euen as he that would conquer a Castle at the first doth make way to the ruine with his greater shot after he doth assault inuade and possesse it so before death great infirmitie is sent which doth so vanquish and breake the naturall strength that it giueth no rest to man whether it be by day or by night but without intermission shaketh and wringeth all the chiefe members of the body so that the soule can no longger defend her Castle neither can any longer be preserued in it wherefore the relinquisheth the body hauing escaped flyeth out of it and goeth to another place But when as the infirmitie doth draw to that passe that eyther the sicke partie or the Phisition beginneth to doubt despaire of lyfe good God what streights what oppressings what griefes doe then crush teare the miserable hart For then the whole race and processe of thy precedent life dooth come inâ—o thy minde then is it represented vnto thee that thou must leaue all those things which heere thou so deerly louest vvife chyldren friends parents riches honours titles offices and other things which leaue off to be and take end with thy lyfe After these things those last accidents grow on which are ioyned with death it selfe which are much greater then these going before The forehead waxeth hard the skinne is stretched out from whence cold sweat breaketh foorth the eyes vvaxe dimme sayle and are writhen about with intollerable payne the eares grow deafe the nose doth sincke downe the nosthrils are filled with filth the countenaunce waxeth pale the mouth is disturbed the tongue is vnmoueable and ceaseth to doe his dutie any more the tast perrisheth the lipps waxe blewe and wanne the breath gathering it selfe from the bottome of the breast faileth the hands waxe cold the nayles waxe black the pulse languisheth and is very little but very thicke sometime it ceaseth and sometimes striketh softly the feete die and loose theyr naturall heate What neede I many wordes all the flesh is turned to corruption and all the members and all the sences are disturbed troubled by reason of theyr too hastie seperation After thys maner a man must at his departure out of thys life recompence the labors and sorrowes of those by whom he entred into thys world bearing those griefes at his end which his mother bare when shee brought him forth And so the proportion of mans departure and entrance into this world is notable for both is full of sorrowes his ingresse hath the sorrowes of another his egresse his owne Whilst man is tost in this straight sodainly the agony of death is at hand the ende of life is presented to the memorie the horrour also of the graue and the infelicity of his body which straightwayes is to be meate for wormes but especially the soule is plunged which as yet remayneth in the body but after an houre or two being seperated from the body it knoweth not what entertainement or dwelling place it shall haue Then thou wilt thinke that the iudgement of God is present at hand then thou shalt see before thee all thy sinnes which will accuse thee before the iudgement seate of the Diuine iustice then thou at the length too late wilt acknowledge how filthie the crimes were which thou so easily didst commit then with many cursings and execrations thou wilt banne that day in which thou didst offend thou wilt bitterly curse the pleasures and delights which moued thee with their enticements to sinne In that houre thou canst not sufficiently wonder at thy selfe and thy lenity who for things so vaine and of no moment as those were which thou wast wont to loue with so inordinate loue hast cast thy selfe in danger to suffer so intollerable paines of the which in that most sorrowfull houre thou shalt make no small experiment For the pleasures passing away the iudgment of them approching that which before of it selfe was but little and now ceaseth to be shall seeme to be nothing but that which is great of it selfe and present at hand thou shalt suppose that it is greater then it is because at the length thou shalt manifestly know it with all the circumstances When as therefore thou shalt see that for matters so vaine and light I will not say filthy thou hast depriued thy selfe of so great blessings and casting thy eyes heere and there thou shalt see thy selfe on euery side compassed about with griefes and tribulations because longer thou canst not liue and for repentance there is neyther place nor time the number of thy dayes are come to an end they cannot helpe thee whom
the iust doe so greatly feare what shall the sinner doe When as the Cedar of Libanus is shaken what will the sprigge of the wildernesse doe If the righteous scarcely shal be saued as saith S. Peter where shall the vngodly and sinner appeare Tell me I pray thee what doost thou thinke of that houre whē as thou departing out of this life shalt enter into that iudgment alone naked poore without any one that may defend and maintaine thy cause besides thy good works which thou hast doone and only thy conscience wayting vpon them that tribunall vvill be very sharpe and seuere where it is not handled of life or death temporall but eternall And if in rendring thine account thou art found wholy oppressed with debts alas how horrible wil be the dolours and vexations of thy mind O how full of confusion wilt thou be and how aboundant in vnprofitable repentance how voyd wilt thou be of all aduice and counsaile and how destistute of all comfort Truly great vvas the trouble and distraction of minde among the Princes of Iuda when as the victorious sword of Sesac King of the Egyptians did tyrannize in all the streets of Ierusalem when as by the present paine and punishment they acknowledged their passed faults and old errors But there is no comparison between that confusion and thys of the which we now speake In that houre what will sinners doe vvhether will they turne themselues vvho shall defend them Teares will not profit them there all repentance will be barraine and vnfruitfull In that houre neither prayers shall be heard neither any promises shall take place or any suretieshippe be accepted When as the last moment of life is come and the houre glasse runne out novve there is no more time left for repentance But if these foresaide things will not profit much lesse shall riches nobilitie or honours helpe for the Wise-man sayth Riches auaile not in the day of wrath but righteousnes deliuereth from death When as the vnhappy soule shall see it selfe compassed and inclosed in these streights what will it doe what will it say vvith what other words will it lament this lamentable estate then with those which the Prophet vsed in times past when he sayd The sorrowes of death compassed me and the floods of wickednesse made me afraid the sorowes of the graue haūe compassed me about the snares of death ouertooke me Woe is me poore wretch into what a laborinth haue my sinnes ledde me How suddenlie and thinking nothing lesse hath this houre entrapped me How hath it rushed vpon me I neuer dreaming of it What doe now my honours profit me vvhat doe now my dignities helpe me What doe all my friends for me vvhat profit doe now my seruaunts bring me vvhat fruite doe I now reape of all my riches goods which I was wont to possesse For no a small peece of ground of seauen foote will containe me and I must be content with a dwelling in a narrow Coffin and vvith lodging in a poore winding-sheete But that which is worst of all my riches shall remaine heere behind me which I haue scraped together with so great toyle and sweating others shall enioy them and shall spend them on their pleasures Onely my sinnes which I haue committed in gathering them waite vpon me that I may suffer deserued punishment for thē What can I make now of all my pleasures delights seeing they are all ouer-past onely theyr dreggs are my portion which are scruples bytings of conscience which like thornes doe pearce me and doe runne through my myserable hart and shall torment it with euerlasting tortures O my intollerable blockishnes ô my madnes and folly to be cursed with a thousand execrations how could it be that I vnmindfull of thys time haue not prepared my selfe to eschew these present calamities How often haue I beene admonished of this day but vvith deafe eares I ouer-passed all counsaile vvoc is me why did I not receiue instruction vvhy haue I not obeyed and harkened vnto my Teachers and to the wordes that they taught mee I lyued irreligiously in the midst of the Church and amongst Gods people I haue polluted my selfe with all kinde of sinne With these and such like lamentations sinners will deplore and bewaile theyr miserable estate and these most commonly will be their meditations considerations and confessions But least thou my brother sholdest fall into the like straights I pray thee that thou wouldest examine all these things aforesayd with diligent regard and that they being often meditated vpon thou wouldest euery where and alwayes set them before thine eyes but amongst others lay vp chiefely these three things deepely in thy minde and in a faithfull memory the first of which is that thou consider the greatnes of the punishment which thou shalt feele in the houre of death for thy multitude of sinnes by which thou hast offended the diuine goodnes the second is that thou diligently ponder with what great desire thou wilt then wish so to haue led thy life that in that houre thou mightest haue God propitious and fauourable vnto thee thirdly that thou remember how great and how seuere a repentance thou wouldest enter into if time should be graunted vnto thee Therefore liue so now as thou wouldest desire and wish that thou hadst liued in that houre THE EIGHT TITLE That man is bound to desire Vertue by reason of that second last thing that happeneth vnto him which is the last Iudgement CHAP. VIII AFter death followeth the perticuler iudgement of euery one and after that the vniuersall iudgment of all when that shall be fulfilled which the Apostle sayth Wee must all appeare before the iudgement seate of Christ that euery man may receaue the things which are done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or euill Heere we will speake of the rigour of that strict account which shall be exacted of vs in this iudgement and what will follow after the sentence of this iudgement that man may see that he not onelie is inuited vnto Vertue but rather that he is drawne and constrayned First therefore we are to consider that one thing amongst other which holy Iob wondered at that although man is so weake a creature yet God who is so great and mighty entreth with great rigour into iudgement with him Insomuch that there is no word no thought no inordinate and disordered motion which he hath not written in the booke and record of his iustice that he may exact a most strict account of it After a long discourse he at length sayth thus Wherefore hidest thou thy face and takest me for thine enemy Wilt thou breake a leafe driuen too and fro And wilt thou pursue the dry stubble For thou writest bitter things against me and makest me to possesse the iniquities of my youth Thou puttest my feete also in the stocks and lookest narrowly vnto all my paths and makest
himselfe to the sacrifice he heard of him Now I know that thou fearest God seeing for my sake thou hast not spared thine onely sonne By my selfe haue I sworne because thou hast done this thing and hast not spared thine onely sonne Therefore will I surely blesse thee and will greatly multiply thy seede as the starres of the heauen and as the sand which is vpon the Sea shoare and thy seede shall possesse the gate of his enemies More-ouer amongst thy sonnes I will giue thee one who shall be the Sauiour of the world and he shal be both thy sonne and the sonne of GOD. Dooth this seeme vnto thee an ample reward Thys is a reward woorthy of God for God is God in all things Hee is God in recompencing hee is God in correcting hee is God in all other things Dauid on a certaine night considered with himselfe howe he himselfe dwelt in a house of Cedar trees and the Arke of GOD remained within the Curtaines and he began to think of building an house vnto the Lord. And the same night the word of the Lord came vnto Nathan saying Goe and tell my seruaunt Dauid thus saith the Lord vvilt thou build mee an house for my dwelling I doe sweare vnto thee I will builde thee an house for euer and for all thy posteritie with a perpetuall kingdome neyther shall my mercy depart from it So he sayd and so he did for to the comming of Christ they raigned in the house of Iuda who descended of the familie and seede of Dauid whō Christ followed who shall raigne for euer Therefore if the glory of Heauen be a recompence and an vniuersall remuneration of the diuine worship and seruice done vnto God of his Saints if God be so liberall in this recompence it is no hard thing to coniecture how great the glory to come of the blessed will be We haue another coniecture if we consider howe great the price is which God requireth for this glorie notwithstanding he is so liberall and bountifull For after sinne hee would not grant this glory to any man at a lesser price then at the death blood of his onely begotten sonne Iesus Christ insomuch that this heauenly life is not gyuen to man but for the death of God and for the sorrowes of God celestiall ioy is giuen to man And because God hanged vppon the Crosse between two theeues now man raigneth amongst the assembly of Angels Tell me if by any meane it may be spoken what manner of good is that which that the Lorde might giue it vnto thee first he must sweat out his owne blood he must be apprehended bound beaten mocked crowned with thornes and crucified What will it be I pray thee that the Lord who otherwise of his own nature is so liberall hath prepared that he might giue vnto men for this so inestimable a price Hee that kuoweth well how to fish in thys depth hee by this coniecture shall know the greatnes of thys glory more manifestly then by all others which may be imagined God also exacteth as an appendix of thys former the greatest thing that may be exacted of man for this celestiall glory that is he take vp his crosse that hee pull out his right eye and cast it from him if it offend him that he forsake Father and Mother with all other things created if they at any time perswade any thing contrary to the diuine commandements And when we haue doone all things that we can the Lord willeth that we say that wee are vnprofitable seruants hee willeth that glory be gyuen vnto him onely and all things to be esteemed as his sole and meere grace Which he confirmeth by Saint Iohn when he sayth I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end I wil giue to him that is a thirst of the wel of the water of life freely Tell me what ones how great are they thinkest thou for the which the Lord requireth so hard things which when we haue giuen or done yet he would haue vs to confesse that they are gyuen vnto vs freely of his meere grace Tell me therefore if the Lord our God be so magnificent and so liberall in bestowing his graces if his diuine goodnes hath graunted to all men in this life the vse of things so different if all the creatures of heauen and earth indifferently serue all and the possession of them be common as well to the vniust as to the iust who deseruedly can doubt that much greater are those supreame blessings which he hath prepared onely for the righteous Who was euer found that freely bestowed so great treasures vpon him to whom he was not indebted How much greater will he gyue if he shal be indebted to any He that is so liberall in bestowing gifts freely how liberall will he be in repaying and rewarding a debt He that bestoweth so great things freely what will hee not giue to him that continueth faythfull If the magnificence of those things which he giueth be so inestimable vvhat shal be the splendour of those things which he will repay Certainly it cannot be spoken nor be expressed by any words how great that glory will be which the Lord will gyue to his Elect seeing they are so great which of his great bountie he bestoweth vpon the vnthankfull The situation and height of the place may somewhat teach vs also of the quantitie and qualitie of thys glory that this heauen of heauens which is aboue the seauen Spheares as it is greater then all the heauens so it is the noblest of all the most beautifull the most glorious and the most worthy Thys place the Scripture calleth The Land of the liuing that he might signifie that this Land which wee inhabite is a land of those which be dead But if in this region of death the creatures be so noble so precious and so excellent what shall those there be in the land of the euer-liuing Turne thine eyes into what part soeuer thou wilt of thys visible world and behold how many and how beautiful things are found in it Behold how spacious the greatnesse of the heauen is how great the splendour is of the Sunne Moone and of all the s tarres how beautifull the earth is being beautified and adorned with so great multitude and variety of plants byrds and other liuing creatures How pleasant a thing is it to see the plainnesse of the fielde the highnesse of hills and mountaines the greenes of Valleyes the streaming of fountaines the aboundance of riuers vvhich like vaynes runne through the whole body of the earth and that which is more what great pleasure it is to see the largnesse of the Sea full of so many and so admirable things What be the standing pooles vvhat be the lakes of pure and cleere water what other things be they then the eyes of the earth the looking-glasses of heauen What be the meddowes clothed adorned with the pleasantnes
be the fulnes of light to our vnderstanding the aboundance of peace to our will and the continuance of eternity to our memory There the wisedom of Salomon shall seeme ignorance there the beauty of Absalon shall seeme deformity there the strength of Sampson shall seeme weakenes there the life of those men that liued at the beginning of the world shall be as it were death to conclude there wee may worthily call the treasuries of all Emperours and Kings starke beggerie and pouertie If these things be so ô wretched man as they are in deede wherefore and to what end doost thou desire to stay longer in the Land of Egipt and to gather stubble Why doost thou drinke troubled and foule water out of all cesternes despising the vaine of felicity and the fountaine of liuing waters Why doost thou loue to begge and â—o liue of almes when thou shalt finde such aboundance in heauen If thou desirest pleasure lift vp thine hart and see how delightfull that good is that contayneth in it the delight and pleasure of all good things If this life created doth please thee how much more shall that life please thee which created all things If health giuen make thee merrie how much more shall he make thee merry that giueth all health If the knowledge of the creatures be sweet and acceptable how much more sweeter shall the Creator himselfe be If beauty be acceptable vnto thee it is hee at whose beauty the Sunne and Moone admire If thou desirest nobility hee is the fountaine and originall of all nobility If thou desirest long life and health he is eternal life If thou desirest satiety and aboundance he is the fulnes of al good things If thou delightest in the wel-tuned musicke harmony of mortall men there Angels doe sing most sweetly the Organs of the Citty of God are heard there with great delight and pleasantnes If the friendship familiarity and society of good men doe like thee there thou shalt finde all the elect hauing one minde and one hart If thou thirstest after riches and honours in that house of the Lord they are found in great aboundance To conclude if thou desirest to escape all kinde of punishments tribulations and miseries there thou shalt finde libertie and freedome from them all God commaunded in the olde law that vpon the eight day Circumcision should be celebrated that secretly he might let vs vnderstand that vpon the eight day of our Resurrection which succeedeth the seauenth day of this life God will circumcise and cut off all the griefes sorrowes miseries and calamities of them that for his loue whilst they liued haue circumcised and cut off their appetites lusts and sinnes What thing then can be found out more blessed or happy then this estate of liuing most free from all kinde of misery What sayth Saint Augustine is more blessed then this life where there is no feare of pouerty no infirmity of sicknes No man is hurt none angry none enuieth no concupiscence is kindled no appetite of meat no ambition of honour or dominion doth vrge or moue thee There is no feare of the deuill no deceipts of deuils the terror of hell is farre of there is neyther death of body or soule but a pleasant life through the gift of immortality Then there shall be no mischiefes no discords but all agreement because there shall be one concord of all the Saints Peace and ioy embrace all things all thinges are at quiet and rest there is continuall brightnes and shining not that which is now but much more bright and cleare because that Citty as it is reade needeth neyther Sunne nor Moone but the Lord almighty shall enlighten it and the Lambe is the light of it Where the Saints shall shine as the brightnes of the firmament and they that turne many to righteousnes as the starres for euer and euer Wherefore there is no night no darknes no concourse of cloudes neyther anie distemperature or vnseasonablenes of heate or cold but there shall be such a temperature and moderation of all things which neyther the eye hath seene nor the eare hath heard neyther hath it entred into the hart of man except of them who are found worthy to enioy it whose names are written in the booke of life But aboue all these things it is to be consociate with the assembly of Angels and Archangels and of all the celestiall powers to behold the Patriarches and Prophets to see the Apostles and all the Saints to see also our parents These are glorious but much more glorious is it to behold the countenance of the Lord and to see that light not to be circumscribed that will be superexcellent glory when we shal see God in himselfe wee shall see and shall haue him in vs whom to behold there shall be no end O my soule sayth the same holy man if wee daily should suffer torments if for a long time we should endure hell it selfe that we might see Christ in his glory and haue society with his Saints were it not a thing worthy to suffer all bitternes and all crosse that we might be pertakers of so great good and so great glory Therfore let the deuils lye in waite for me let them prepare temptations let fastings weaken my body let hard and course cloathing afflict my flesh let labours oppresse mee let watchings dry me vp let this man cry out against me let this or that disquiet mee let cold benum me let my conscience murmur against mee let heate burne mee let my head ake let my hart boyle within me let my stomach faile mee let my countenance waxe pale let euery part of me be enfeebled let my life forsake me in griefe and let my yeeres end in sorrow let rottennes enter into my bones and flow vnder me so that I may rest in the day of tribulation and that I may ascend to the holy hil For what shal be the glory of the righteous How great the ioy of the Saints when as euery face shal shine as the Sun Hetherto S. Augustine If this good be so great and so vniuersall what shal the felicity and glory be of those blessed eyes which shal behold all these things How excellent a thing wil it be to see the beauty of this Citty And the glory of the Cittizens The face of the Creator The magnificence of the buildings The riches of the Pallace and the common ioy of that Countrey How pleasant a thing wil it be to see the orders of the blessed Spirits The authority of that holy Senate And the maiesty of those venerable Seniours and Elders which Saint Iohn saw Sitting vpon thrones in the sight of God clothed in white rayment and hauing on their heads crownes of gold How sweet and how pleasant wil it be to heare those sweet angelical voyces the consent of theyr musicke most excellently composed of maister singers such Psalmody of such holy singers such Symphonie
small thing vnto the iust man is better then great riches vnto the wicked And in another place A day in thy courts is better then a thousand other-where I had rather be a dore-keeper in the house of my GOD then to dwell in the Tabernacles of wickednesse To be briefe what other thing meane those words of the Spouse in the Canticles Thy breasts are better then Wine and a little after We will reioyce and be glad in thee beeing mindfull of thy breasts aboue wine That is mindfull of the most sweet milke of thy consolations and comforts with which thou refreshest and nourishest at thy breasts thy spirituall children which is sweeter and more pleasant then all vvine By that wine he vnderstandeth not materiall wine as neither in the breast of God we know that there is milke nor the delights and ioyes of the worlde such as the whore in the Reuelation beginneth to her louers sitting vppon many waters and hauing a golden cup in her hand full of abhomination and of the filthines of her fornication making drunken and peruerting the iudgment of all them that dwell in Babylon least they should foresee their destruction and repent them of theyr wickednes ¶ How the righteous are refreshed in theyr prayers after a singuler manner with these diuine consolations IF in prosecuting this matter thou shalt aske me in what matter the righteous chiefely enioy these consolations of vvhich we haue hetherto spoken God himselfe will make answere vnto thee by the mouth of his Prophet Also the strangers that cleaue vnto the Lord to serue him and to loue the Name of the Lord and to be his seruants euery one that keepeth the Sabaoth and polluteth it not and embraceth my couenant them will I bring to mine holy mountaine and make them ioyfull in mine house of prayer For in thys exercise GOD especially and particulerly reioyceth his Elect. For as Laurentius Iustinianus in a certaine prayer sayth the harts of the righteous are inflamed with the loue of theyr Creator and are oftentimes lifted aboue themselues and doe thinke that they are in the company of Angels and there in the presence of the Creator they sing loue breathe praise sorrowe ioy eate and are hungry drinke and are a thirst and by euery way contend to be transformed into their Lord whom they do contemplate by fayth worship by humilitie seeke by desires enioy by loue Then they shall acknowledge howe true it is of our Sauiour That they might haue my ioy fulfilled in themselues Which as a riuer of peace is diffused and dispersed thorowe all the powers of the soule illuminating the vnderstanding reioycing the will renuing the memory and gathering all her cogitations to God there they embrace him with the armes of loue and haue I know not what in them they desire to holde hym with all theyr strength neither will they that hee should depart from them And as Iacob who stroue with the Angell woulde not let him depart so the hart after his manner striueth with the Diuine sweetnes neyther will let it depart but valiantly keepeth it as a thing in which he hath found all that he sought for and desired and saith with S. Peter in the mount Lord it is good for vs to be heere The soule placed in this estate very vvell vnderstandeth the phrase and right idiome or proprietie of the booke of the Canticles but especially it tuneth accenteth that most sweet song His left hand is vnder mine head and his right hande doth embrace me And Stay me with flagons and comfort mee with apples for I am sicke of loue Then the soule sette on fire with that diuine flame greatly desireth to be dissolued and to be deliuered out of this prison teares are her bread day and night as long as this deliuerance is deferred Death is her wish and lyfe her patience Without intermission shee repeateth that of the Canticles O that thou werest as my brother that sucked the breasts of my Mother I would finde thee without I would kisse thee thē they should not despise me Then wondering at herselfe she thinketh after what manner these treasures haue beene hid all the time past and seeing all men capable of so great good shee desireth to goe into all streets and high-waies and to cry out to all men and to say Whether hast yee yee fooles and vnwise What seeke yee Why doe yee not hasten Why doe ye not contend that ye may enioy this blessing Tast and see how sweet the Lord is blessed is the man that trusteth in him For after that she hath tasted of the spirituall sweetnes all flesh is vnsauery vnto her all societie is a prison vnto her all solitarinesse shall seeme a Paradice and her delight shall be to cleaue vnto the Lorde whom she loueth All honor shall be a burthen all houshold gouernment and disposing of riches shall be to her a kind of martyrdome She shall not suffer any thing either in heauen or in earth to disturbe her pleasures and therefore she will watch that no externall cogitations or cares enter into her hart There shall be but one loue vnto her one desire shee shall loue all thinges in one and shall loue one thing in all Very well said the Prophet Whō haue I in heauen but thee I haue desired none in the earth with thee My flesh fayleth and mine hart also but GOD is the strength of mine hart and my portion for euer He that commeth to this happinesse hee thinketh not that he hath any more an obscure knowledge of diuine things but he supposeth that he dooth see with other eyes for hee feeleth those motions and those changes in his hart which are as infallible arguments and most firme testimonies of the truth of his fayth When the day is stormie and bringeth tediousnesse hee desireth a quiet night that hee may poure out his soule before the Lord and that he may passe the night with God No night is too long yea that which is the longest seemeth to bee the shortest If it be a cleere night hee lifteth vp his eyes that hee may contemplate and beholde the beautie of heauen the splendour of the starres and Moone and all these things he considereth of with new eyes and with new ioy farre different from the former He considereth of them as Images of the beautie of his Creator as glasses of his glory as messengers and interpretors who declare his maiestie as testimonies of perfection which is in him as gyfts which the Bridegrome sendeth to his Bride to continue and increase loue euen to that day in which hee shall take her with his hand and in his heauenly pallace shall solemnize with her that euerlasting marriage The whole world seemeth one booke vnto him which speaketh of the wonders of God one Epistle which hee sendeth to his beloued one instrument of his loue These be the nights my
life by grace and the blessed in the other by glory Of the fift priuiledge of Vertue which is the tranquilitie and peace of a good conscience which the righteous enioy and of the torment and inward byting with which the wicked and vngodly are tortured CHAP. XVII AFter the ioy and consolation of the holy Ghost an other ioy doth succeede which the righteous haue from the testimonie of a good conscience For the more euident vnderstanding of this priuiledge wee must know that the Diuine prouidence which bountifully prouideth that all the creatures haue those things that are necessary for their preseruation and perfection when it willeth that a reasonable creature should be perfect hath prouided most plentifully and copiously that not any of those things should be wanting which belong vnto his perfection And because the perfection of this creature consisteth in the perfection of his vnderstanding and will which are two of the chiefest and principallest faculties of our soule one of which is perfected by Science the other by Vertue God hath created vniuersall principles of all sciences in our vnderstanding whence theyr conclusions proceede and in the vvill hee hath ordained a seminary or seede plotte of all vertues for hee hath put in it a certaine naturall inclination to all good and a dread or horrour of that which is euill so that the vvill naturally reioyceth in the one and is heauy in the other murmuring against that as against a thing which it naturally abhorreth Which inclination is so naturall and so effectuall that although by chaunce it be weakened through a daily custome of ill liuing yet it cannot vtterly perrish or altogether be extinguished We haue a figure of this in the booke of Iob in each of the calamities and losses of this man of God alwayes there was a seruant remaining which brought him word of the misfortune and misery After the same manner this seruant is neuer wanting nor euer leaueth him who sinneth The Doctors doe name this seruant the Keeper or Watcher ouer the conscience which in all shypwracks escapeth safe and among all the dead it onely dieth not which ceaseth not to present before the eyes of the wicked the good which they haue omitted vvhen they sinned and the euill which they haue committed In vvhich thing the care and loue of the Diuine prouidence shineth with a wonderfull beautie by which it loueth embraceth vertue after that it hath appointed for her a perpetuall stirrer vp that she sleep not a perpetuall Preacher that neuer keepeth silence and a maister who alwaies directeth her to all good The Stoicke Philosopher Epictetus very well vnderstood this who said Our Parents deliuered vs beeing children to a Schoolemaister or Tutor which might attende vs that wee should not be hurt but God hath committed men to bee kept of their owne conscience seated within them which conscience and Keeper is not to be contemned because it both would displease God and we should become enemies to our owne conscience Euen as this conscience is as it were a Teacher and Maister of good men so on the contrary part it is a tormenter and torturer of the wicked which afflicteth and excruciateth them inwardly without intermission accuseth sinners for their sinnes committed and mingleth Wormwood with all their pleasures insomuch that scarce they bite of the Garlicke of Egypt but a teare doth fall from theyr eyes This is one of those plagues with which the Lord in Esay doth threaten that he will torment the wicked saying And I will make Babilon a possession to the Hedgehog For by the iust iudgement of God the hart of the wicked which heere is vnderstood by Babilon is giuen into the power of the Hedghog that thornie and pricking creature that is into the handes of the deuill and also into the power of the thornes and pricks of the conscience which sinnes doe bring with them which as sharpe thornes and needles doe thrust through and rent the hart of man But if thou askest mee what be these thornes I say that one is the filthines and enormity of sinne that of it owne nature is so abhominable that a certaine Phylosopher sayd If I knew that God would pardon me and that men were ignorant of it yet I should blush to sinne for the onely filthines of sinne Another thorne is when the sin bringeth with it an offence or iniurie to another man for then as it were the blood of Abel is represented to his eyes which cryeth for vengeance before the Lord there is an example of this in the bookes of the Machabees all the iniuries and all the euils which Antiochus the King had doone at Ierusalem came into his minde hee beeing now at the point of death by the which remembrance he came into such tribulation and anguish and into those floods of heauinesse and sorrow that he said And nowe doe I remember the euils that I haue doone at Ierusalem for I tooke all the vessels of gold and of siluer that were in it and sent to destroy the inhabitants of Iuda without cause I know that these troubles are come vpon mee for the same cause and beholde I must die with great sorrowe in a strange Land Infamie is another thorne which followeth sin whicha sinner knoweth of will he nill he and therefore he cannot but grieue for naturally men wish well vnto themselues are afflicted with the contrary For there is not a more grieuous punishment as a certaine Wiseman sayth then publique hate An other thorne is the necessarie feare of death the incertainty of life the feare of rendering an account and the dread horrour of euerlasting punishment Euery one of these are seuerall thornes which grieuously pierce and prick the hart of the vngodly insomuch that as often as the memory of death commeth on one side so certaine on the other so incertaine he cannot but be sadde and heauy as saith Ecclesiasticus For he seeth that day which shall auenge all his iniquitie and bring an end to his vices and pleasures Neither is there any man who can altogether cast the remembrance of this from him seeing that nothing is so naturall to a mortall man as to die Hence it is that being in any dangerous estate hee quaketh and trembleth through feare being doubtfull whether he shall die or not for the vehemencie of his owne loue and the perturbation of feare maketh him to feare a shadow and to dread where there is no such cause Therefore if in the Land destructions and common infirmities doe arise as the plague Earthquakes thunder and lightning a sinner straight-waies feareth and is troubled and is altered through the feare of an euill conscience perswading himselfe that these shall light vppon him All these thornes together pricke goare and thrust through the harts of wicked men as very largely remembreth one of Iobs friends The wicked man sayth he is continually as one
fall into the bottomlesse Ocean Of the sixt priuiledge of Vertue which is the confidence and hope of the Diuine mercy which the righteous reioyce in and of the miserable and vaine trust and repose in which the vvicked liue CHAP. XVIII HOpe and Confidence doth accompany follow the peace and ioy of a good conscience in which the righteous liue of which the Apostle speaketh Reioycing in hope patient in trouble counsayling vs to reioyce in hope and to haue patience in trouble for Hope telleth vs that we haue a strong helper and a bountifull rewarder This is one of the chiefest iewels treasuries of a Christian life thys is the possession and patrimony of the sonnes of God thys is the safe and secure hauen true remedy of all the miseries of this lyfe But we must heere note least perhaps wee be deceiued that as there be two kindes of fayth one dead which bringeth foorth no fruite and thys is the fayth of euill and wicked Christians the other is a liuely fayth full of charitie and fruitfull vnto euerie good worke which the righteous haue which leadeth vnto life so also there are two kindes of Hope or Confidence one dead which gyueth not life vnto the soule neither strengtheneth it with her workes neither comforteth it in tribulations Such is the hope which the wicked glory in The other is a liuelie hope as the Apostle Peter calleth it which as it is a thing that hath life so also it bringeth foorth the effects and fruites of lyfe which are to rayse vp the minde to comfort to reioyce it and to support it in that way which leadeth to heauen and to recreate refresh and encourage it in the troubles of this world as that holy woman Susanna was strengthened and refreshed of whom it is written that beeing already condemned when she was led to the place of execution where she should haue beene stoned to death she was not discouraged but shee hoped in God and her hart had sure affiance in the Lord. Such was the hope of Dauid when he sayd O thinke vpon thy seruant as concerning thy Word wherein thou hast caused me to put my trust the same is my comfort in my trouble Many meruailous be the effects of this liuely hope in that soule wherein it dwelleth and so many the moe by howe much it more participateth of the loue of God which giueth life vnto hope Of these effects the first is that it strengtheneth a man in the way of Vertue through the hope of a rewarde for the more sure and certaine he hath the pledge and pawne of this reward by so much more cheerefully he runneth thorowe whatsoeuer tribulations of this world as all the holy Doctors of the Church confesse with one mouth Hope sayth Saint Gregory dooth rayse vp the soule vnto eternitie and therefore it feeleth no euils which it outwardly beareth Origen sayth the hope of future blessings dooth bring rest to those that labour as to those that contend in battell the hope of victory and reward dooth mittigate the griefe of theyr woundes Saint Ambrose dooth subscribe vnto this Hope of profit saith he dooth steale away our labours and doth hide the feare of danger Of the same minde is Saint Ierome All labour and euery worke sayth he is wont to become easie and to be made light when the reward of it is thought vpon and the hope of reward is the solace and comfort of the labour Saint Chrisostome is more copious in this poynt Alwaies sayth he the hope of future blessings doe make lighter the present discommodities Any body may see this in Merchants who passe and sayle ouer the large and bondlesse Seas and suffer shypwracks Pyrats and many other dangers by which theyr hope is often frustrated neither yet do they so leaue of but they assay and try the same things againe and againe Wee also may say the same of Husbandmen for when as they haue deeplie furrowed the ground and diligently haúe tilled it and sowne it oftentimes they are frustrated of theyr hope eyther through drought or too much moysture or through blasting and some other calamitie Neuerthelesse they doe not so leaue of but againe when the season approcheth they exercise theyr husbandry And in another place If any man setteth by a laborious life let him despise and hate slothfulnes for if to Marriners the threatning billowes and fearefull waues of the Sea doe seeme tollerable if stormes winters are tollerable to Husbandmen if wounds and slaughters to Souldiers if grieuous blowes and stripes seeme light and tollerable to champions for the hope of temporall and perrishing commodities much more whē heauen is prepared for a reward wee ought not to esteeme or account of these present troubles afflictions Exceedingly doth a promise a blessed end mittigate the labours Doe not thou therfore ô Christian think or coniecture that the way of Vertue is rough and sharpe but looke to the end of it Be not deceiued in beholding the pleasant way of vices but looke to that downfall and destruction that it leadeth thee to That holy man sayd very truly and well Which of vs wisheth or desireth to walke in a way strowed with Roses planted with diuers flowers if the assured end of it be death And who will refuse a rough and difficult way that leadeth vnto life Thys hope doth not onely adde courage vnto vs to obtaine our desired end but it encourageth vs in all the meanes which are destinated to that end and generally in all our necessities in the miseries of thys life For by this a man is helped in all his trouble defended in dangers hee receiueth solace in sorrowes ayde in infirmities sufficiencie in all neede for by thys wee obtaine the fauour and mercy of the Lord which helpeth and aydeth vs in all affaires Of all these wee haue most certaine and most euident pledges and gages of holy Scriptures but especially in Dauids Psalmes For there is scarcely found any psalme which doth not commend vnto vs this vertue and which declareth not vnto vs the most noble fruites of it For without all doubt hope is a most rich treasury a very great consolation which the righteous haue in this world Therefore let no man thinke much if we be more long and prolixe in repeating the authorities of thys place In the second booke of the Chronicles a certaine Prophet sayth to King Asa The eyes of the Lorde behold all the earth to strengthen them that with a perfect hart beleeue and hope in him Ieremie speaketh thus of thys hope O how good is the Lord vnto them that put theyr trust in him and to the soule that seeketh after him And Esay sayth If ye returne and be quiet ye shal be safe your strength shall be in quietnesse and hope By quietnesse in thys place is vnderstood the tranquilitie inward rest of the
scarcelie it is knowne or noted in any man All these things doe sufficientlie declare how miserable thys seruitude is and with what a horrible punishment man is condemned for sinne seeing that for it the noblest creature is deliuered into the hands of so barbarous and cruell a Tyrant Ecclesiasticus hath expressed the nature of this beast when he beseeched the Lord that hee would put from him all wicked and vngodly desires that hee would take from him the greedines of the belly that the lust of the flesh should not take hold of him and that he might not be giuen ouer to an impudent minde As if he should say that he desired that he might not be deliuered into the hands of such a Tyrant or executioner For he supposed that such an appetite was worthy of such a name But if thou desirest to know how great the force and power of thys Tyrant is thou maist easily gather of that which he hath done and which hee daily dooth in thys world I will not send thee to the fables of Poets which tell vs how that most famous Hercules after he had conquerd all the Monsters of the world at the length beeing captiuated with the loue of a certaine lasciuious woman cast away his club and sat amongst other vvomen spynning and drawing out threds from his distaffe For so the woman that hee loued commaunded him yea if hee did it not she threatned him and checked him Thys those wise Poets fained more ingeniously then truly that they might shewe the cruell tyrannic and power of that appetite Neyther vvill I bring out of the holy Scriptures that known example of Salomon who beeing most holy and most wise yet hee was so besotted by his Concubines that his true God beeing forsaken he adored Idols and builded for them magnificent and stateliâ— Temples that hee might serue these impure harlots and his owne appetite although this example doth no lesse argue the tiranny of this most pestilent passion then that afore For I had rather bring those which daily are obuious to our eyes Consider I pray thee into what present danger an adulterous woman doth cast her selfe that she may satisfie her inordinate lust for it pleaseth vs to take an example from that perturbation seeing that the knowledge of the rest doe depend of the knowledge of one That woman knowes if she be found of her husband in an act so wicked and detestable that she shall be slaine without any hope of pardon shee knowes that shee shall loose together at one and the selfe same time her soule her life her honour her riches and all other blessings which she might hope for eyther in this world or in the world to come then which losse surely a greater nor a more vniuersall cannot be inuented or thought of She is not ignorant that she shall be a perpetuall reproch and scandale to her desamed children to her father and mother also to her brethren and sisters and to her whole family and that shee shall for euer be a griefe vnto them Neuerthelesse so great is the violence of this appetite or that I may speake better the power of this Tyrant that he forceth the woman to all these and easily bringeth her to so great danger and she doth willingly what so euer he commaundeth her What Barbarian or Tyrant was euer found in the world who could euer force his seruant to vndergoe so great dangers and so farre to obey him What captiuity can be found more hard or sharper In this estate all sinners liue as the Prophet witnesseth when he sayth That they dwell in darknes and in the shadow of death being bound in misery and yron That is in yron chaynes What darknes is this except that blindnes in which the wicked are conuersant as we haue shewed before seeing that they know neither themselues nor God as they ought to knowe neyther for what cause they liue neyther for what end they are created much lesse doe they know the vanity of the things they loue neyther this seruitude wherein they liue What be these bonds with which they are bound vnlesse the violence of their affections which holdeth their harts tyed with the most straight bonds of those things which they to inordinately doe desire And what is that hunger and misery which they suffer but an insatiable appetite and desire by which they are tormented about infinite things which they cannot haue Consider now therefore if any captiuity harder or sorer can be sustayned or borne But that thou mayst know this yet more plainely I will illustrate it by another example Behold Amnon King Dauids eldest sonne when as he laciuiously had beheld his sister Thamar he was so blinded with this darknes and so miserably bound with these chaines and so vehemently tormented with this hunger that he could neyther eate nor drinke nor sleepe yea he was so farre enamoured of her that he was sicke for her loue Tell me I pray thee what ones were the chaines of this perturbation or appetite with which his hart was bound when it so changed his flesh and so infected the humors of his body that a great infirmity followed vpon it But that thou mayst know that the remedy of this infirmity was not to haue obtayned that he desired marke how the same Amnon was further out of square and more greeuously afflicted and more vexed with a contrary affection after hee had satisfied his lust then he was before for the Scripture sayth And hee hated her exceedingly so that the hatred where-with he hated her was greater then the loue where-with he had loued her So that the rauishing of his sister did not free him from the passion but changed the one into another greater Is there any Tyrant to be found in the world who so often doth tosse and turmoyle his Captiues that doth commaund them to doe vndoe that forceth them to goe and returne the same way Certainely beleeue me my brother they are all such who are subiect to the like vices who are scarce Lords ouer themselues For they eate nothing they drinke nothing they thinke vpon nothing they speake nothing they dreame of nothing but of it So that neyther the feare of God nor their conscience nor heauen nor hell nor death nor iudgement nor oftentimes life it selfe and their proper honour which they so ambitiously loue and maintaine can bring them from this way or breake these bonds What shall I speake of their iealousie of their feare of their suspitions and of other externall accidents in which they are plunged night and day casting themselues headlong into most certaine danger of life and honour for this rauening and tormenting pleasure Is there any Tyrant in the world which after such a manner doth dominere and tyrannize ouer his seruant as vice rageth and raigneth ouer this mans hart For a seruant is neuer so bound to his Lord that night and day he doth wayte vpon him
beleeuest in him where is thy charity where is thy fortitude where is thy obedience where is thy patience where is thy faithfulnesse and where is thy strength of hope Is this the end of all thy labors is this thy good purpose is this that thou so often desiredst prayedst to God for Remember that Christianitie consisteth not onely in this to fast to pray to heare seruice and sermons but it is necessary that God find thee faithfull as another Iob or Abraham in the time of trouble A righteous man beeing helped after this manner by his good meditations and contemplations by his owne vertue and by the fauour of the Diuine grace which neuer forsaketh him at length commeth to that passe that he beareth the burden of his troubles not onely with patience but also with thanks-giuing and with great ioy A proofe of this is the example of the holy man Tobias the elder of whom it is written that after many calamities with which he was proued yea by Gods sufferance he lost his sight in his old age that an example of patience might be giuen vnto men he was neither consumed through griefe of minde neither lost he that sayth and obedience which before he had Wherefore the Scripture sayth But God therefore suffered this temptation to happen vnto him that an example of his patience might remaine vnto posteritie like as of holy Iob. For when as hee had alwayes feared God euen from his infancie and had kept his commaundements hee did not murmur against God that this plague of blindnesse fell vppon him but he remained vnmoueable in the feare of GOD giuing thanks to God all the dayes of his life Thou seest therefore that the holy Ghost dooth adde patience in troubles vnto vertue and vnto the feare of the Lorde which this holy man had according to that which before hath beene said There might also in this place be remembred certaine excellent and famous examples of our time in which certaine men and maids the seruants of GOD haue borne very great troubles and afflictions with great ioy who in bitternesse haue found sweetnes in tempest a calme and in the midst of the Babylonian fornace haue found a most wholsome and comfortable refreshing ¶ Of the impatience and fury of the wicked in tribulations THere is lesser cause to praise the Lord when we see the righteous constant in tribulation then there is to lament and grieue when we see the wicked compassed and enclosed vvith troubles For these haue neither charitie nor fortitude nor hope nor any vertues like vnto those and so tribulations finde them vnarmed and vnprepared neither haue they light by benefit of which they might see that which the righteous doe see through fayth neither doe they embrace that by a liuely hope neyther by experience haue they tryed that singuler goodnes fatherlie prouidence of God by which he watcheth ouer his It is a thing worthy of exceeding sorrow to see them swallowed vp in this sea neither to finde any footing nor any body to reach the hand vnto them to stay and support them For whilst they haue not this helpe and saile without this Pilot and Gouernor and fight without this Armour what is to be hoped for of thē but that they must be drowned and make shypwracke in that storme and tempest or that they must be slaine in this warre What is to be hoped for of them but that they must be tossed with the stormes of windes and with the floods of tribulations and that they must split theyr ship against the rocks of vvrath faint-hartednes impatience blasphemy and desperation There are many also found who furthermore haue lost their vnderstanding their health their life or els their sight through continuall mourning teares So that one part of men as most pure gold tried in the fire of affliction remaineth firme vnconquerable and another part as lead or tinne foorth-with is melted through the heate of the fire Therfore whilst one sorroweth another singeth and where one is drowned and choked another swimmeth and walketh dry foote therfore in the Tabernacles of the righteous alwaies the voyce of prayse and myrth dooth sound but in the houses of sinners lamentations are alwaies heard and voyces full of misery and confusion But if thou wilt more plainly vnderstand that which I say consider the sighes and sorrowes and the extreame lamentations of certaine great noble women after that by death they had lost a son or a husband and thou shalt find that some of thē haue closelie shutte vp themselues in obscure and darke places where they might neither see the Sunne nor the Moone others lyke beasts shutte themselues vp in Caues and Dennes of the earth others haue cast themselues into the fire others to whom lyfe was a payne and death a desire haue dashed out theyr ovvne braynes against a wall To be briefe others after easier maners through impatience and vehemencie of sorrowe haue ended theyr liues and ouerthrowne their families But this is more that not onely they haue been cruel and inhumane vnto themselues but they haue maliciously spurn'd against God blaspheming his Name and reuiling and reproching his prouidence cursing his iustice banning his mercy and opening theyr sacriligious mouthes against heauen and against the high and soueraigne maiestie of God Hence it is that calamities and miseries at the length doe raine and shoure vpon their houses and theyr miseries are doubled which the Lord sendeth vnto them for so great blasphemies For this reward deserueth he who spetteth in the face of God and willingly kicketh against the pricke Yea oftentimes this worke of the hand of GOD is wont to be most iust that hee suffereth man from one calamitie and tribulation to fall into greater Wherefore these vnhappy and miserable wretches the guidance of Vertue leauing them doe all thinges after a contrary and preposterous manner and doe peruert all order in the time of tribulation they blaspheme where they ought to blesse they are proude when humilitie is required augmenting their owne woe and misfortune with that punishment they bring vpon themselues and making their case more desperate with that medicine which they thought to apply vntothemselues which is as the beginning of one hell and going to another which is prepared For if hell be a place of punishments and sinnes what hindereth but that wee may say that there is a certaine resemblance of hell where so many punishments and so many sinnes are found But besides all these what griefe is it to see howsoeuer it be done yet that there is no remedy but that tribulation must bee suffered but to take them vpon vs and to beare them with patience doth make the burden lighter and is well pleasing vnto God but how miserable is that man which loseth the fruite of his patience for beare he must increaseth by impatience the bitternes of his condition which sorer afflicteth then the misfortune
the time of Achab king of Israell when Samaria was besieged by the Armie of the king of Syria we read that men did eate the dunge of Doues that thys kinde of meate was sold for a great price But thys was not so much at the length it came to that passe that mothers did kil and eate the chyldren of their owne wombe Iosephus also writeth that the same happened at the siege of Ierusalem But the slaughters and captiuities of this people together with the vtter ouerthrow of the Common-wealth and the kingdome of the Iewes are so well knowne to all that heere they neede not to be rehearsed An eleuen of theyr Tribes were made perpetuall seruants to the Kings of Assyria that one Trybe which remained a long time after beeing vanquished was brought into seruitude vnder the Romaines in which destruction exceeding great was the number of the captiues but greater was the number of those that were slaine as the same Historiographer copiously describeth Neyther let any one deceaue himselfe saying that this calamitie pertaineth onely to the Iewish nation seeing that it generally appertaineth to all men who haue knowledge of the Diuine law and doe despise it neyther will obey it as the Lord himselfe testifieth by his Prophet Haue not I brought vp Israell out of the Land of Egipt and the Philistines from Cappadocia and the Syrians from Cyrene Behold the eyes of the Lord God are vppon the sinfull kingdome and I will destroy it cleane out of the earth Signifying that all these changes of kingdoms whereby thys kingdome is ouerthrowne and that planted and raysed vp doth come through sinne And if any one will see that this is true let him read ouer the histories of times past he shal vnderstand how God doth chastice the froward and peruerse but especially those that haue the true law and doe not keepe it He shal see how great a part of Europe Asia and Affrica which in times past were full of Churches and of Christian people now are possessed of Infidels he shall know also what great massacres ruines and destructions the Gothes Hunnes and Vandales haue made vpon the Churches who in the time of Saint Augustine destroyed and wasted the Prouinces of Affrica and that without any mercie or compassion they sparing neyther men nor women neither old nor young neither Virgins nor married At the same time also and after the same manner the kingdome of Dalmatia was wasted with the bordering Countries as Saint Ierome showeth who was borne in that Country insomuch that he that should haue passed through trauelled those Countries should haue seene nothing but heauen and earth all things were so ruinated and ouerthrowen Yea if we will looke into our owne times we shall see what slaughters and effusion of Christian blood what desolations and euersions of Citties sinne hath caused in Fraunce Belgia and many other Countryes What mightie massacres and lamentable diuastations hath sinne brought vppon the world by the sword of the Turkes those professed enemies of Christianitie who stil brandish their swords against Christendome for the sinnes of Christians These sufficient plainly doe declare how that true vertue and sincere religion are not onely profitable to the obtayning of eternall blessings but also to gette and keepe temporall blessings that the consideration of all these may inflame our mindes with the loue of Vertue which preserueth vs from so many mischiefes bringeth with it so many good things Of the twelfth priuiledge of Vertue that is of the quiet peaceable ioyfull death of the righteous and contrarily of the wretched miserable painfull disquiet and grieuous death of sinners CHAP. XXIIII THE last priuiledge prerogatiue at the length is ioyned to the precedent that is the death and the glorious end of the righteous when they depart out of the prison of this body vnto the which end all the rest of the priuiledges are destinated and ordayned Because in the end as we are wont to say the praise is proclaimed Tell mee what is more glorious or what more delightsome then the end of the iust and righteous And contrarilie what is more wretched or vnhappy then the death of sinners Right deere and precious saith the Psalmogapher in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints but the death of sinners is vilde and exceeding euill What meaneth thys vvord Exceeding euill vttered in the Superlatiue degree Because thys is the last and greatest of all euils as well for the soule as for the body After thys manner S. Bernard doth expound this of the Psalmist The death of sinners is exceeding euill Because it is euill in losing the world worser in the seperation of the flesh but exceeding euill in that double calamitie of the worme and of the fire It is grieuous to leaue the worlde more grieuous that the soule is seperated from the body but exceeding grieuous and in no wise to be compared vnto the other to be tortured vvith the torments of hell Both these and many moe miseries shall vexe and turmoile the wicked in this houre For then before and aboue all things the accidents of thys infirmitie shall surmount the griefes of the body the terrors of the soule and the afflictions of externall things the thoughts of things to come the remembrance of sinnes past the feare to giue an account the dreadfull sentence the horrour of the graue the seperation and departure from euery thing that was too deere and imbraced with an inordinate loue that is from riches friends wife children from this light from the ayre wherein we breathe and from life it selfe All euery one of these so much the more doe afflict a man by how much they are loued For as Augustine sayth They are not lost without griefe which are possessed with loue Therefore it was very well said of a Phylosopher Hee that in his life knoweth of fewest delights least of all other feareth death But most of all in that houre the burned and feared conscience and the consideration of that which is prepared for them doth excruciate vexe the vvicked For then man beeing raised as it were out of a deepe sleepe by the presence of Death openeth hys eyes and beginneth to behold and see that which he neuer saw before Eusebius Emisseâ—â—s giueth a reason of this At what passe will man be then at sayth hee when bidding his last farewell to all worldly matters hauing death before him leauing life behind him he shal be drawn into that horrible fearefull gulfe For there shall be no preparation for victuals or care for cloathing no busines for Labourers Souldiers or Traffickers no ambition for wealth or honour but there an intollerable terror of giuing an account shall fill and possesse the minde being free from all other cares and the heauy and vnsupportable weight of iudgment shal dreadfully hang ouer the captiue sences Then man forgetteth all thinges
present which he must forsake and beginneth to thinke vpon future things which he must expect Behold shall he say all delights and pleasures haue passed away as a shadow but reproches and faults remaine still The same Doctour also in another homily prosecuting this matter sayth Let vs consider what a lamentable estate a dissolute soule shall be in departing frō this body what streights shall it be brought into what horror and darknes will there be when as the conscience all about beset with faults and sinnes shall appeare first of all the number of our aduersaries For it all other proofes and witnesses set apart shall bring that to light and to our eyes that the proofe of it shall conuince vs and the knowledge of it shall confound vs. Neyther may any one couer or keepe secret any thing or deny any thing when as the accuser or witnes is not to be produced from farre or from another place but is to be fetched from within vs. Hetherto he Another learned and holy man doth handle this same matter more largely and more mistically when hee sayth Let vs consider with speciall attention when the soule of a sinner is departing out of the prison of the flesh with what terrible feare it is shaken and smitten and with how many pricks of a pearcing conscience it is goared and thrust through It remembreth sinnes past which it hath committed it seeth the Diuine commaundements which it hath contemned it greeueth that the time of repentance hath beene so ill and lewdly ouerpast it is afflicted because it seeth the ineuitable houre approch of rendering an account and of the Diuine vengeance it would tarrie still but it is constrayned to depart it would recouer that is past but time is not graunted If it looke behind it seeth the course and race of the whole life led as a moment of time If it looke before it beholdeth the infinite space of eternity which expecteth it It sorroweth and sobbeth because it hath lost the ioy of euerlasting eternity which it might haue obtayned in so short a time it tormenteth it selfe because it hath lost the ineffable sweetnes of perpetuall delight for one sensuall carnall and momentany pleasure It blusheth considering that for that substance which is wormes meate it hath despised that which Angels price so highly And weighing the glory of those immortall riches it is confounded that it hath changed them for the basenes and vildnes of temporall things But when it casteth the eyes vpon things below and seeth the darke and obscure valley of this world and beholdeth aboue it the shyning brightnes of eternall light then it confesseth that all that it loued in this world was black night and vgly darknes O then if such a soule could obtayne a space of repentance and a time to recall it selfe how austere and seuere a life would it embrace What difficult and great matters would it promise vnto what great vowes prayers and other exercises would it bind it selfe But whilst it meditateth and consulteth of these things with it selfe the fore-runners and harbengers of death begin to approach that is the eyes waxe dim the breast swelleth and panteth the voyce sayleth and foltreth the members grow colde the teeth waxe blacke the mouth is filled with humors and the countenance waxeth pale and wan In the meane time come the Officers and Sargiants which attend vpon Death now at hand and they present vnto the wretched soule all the works speaches and cogitations of the life past bearing bad and dangerous witnes against theyr mistres and although she would not see them yet she is compelled to see them By and by commeth an horrible flocke of yelling deuils and there also a sacred company of holy Angels doe present themseules And there they begin to dispute betweene themselues to whether part this miserable pray must happen For if fayth in Christ vertues and works of piety and godlines be found in her straightwayes she is comforted with the sweete speaches and consolations of Angels But if the enormity of sinnes and a life wickedly led doe require another thing alas sodainly she trembleth and is terrified with an intollerable dread and feare and trembling doe terribly assault her Forthwith the deuils assayle her and take her and violently pluck her from the miserable flesh and cast her headlong into torments neuer to be ended but to continue for euer and euer All these be the words of this holy and learned man Tell me if thou wilt confesse this to be true and that each thing proceedeth after this order what other thing is required if so any sparke of wisedome or vnderstanding be left in vs that we may know how detestable and wretched the condition of sinners is seeing that the end prepared for them is so greeuous and vnhappy and which neuer shall haue end And if the delights and pleasures of this life at that time could bring any help or comfort as they were wont to doe this mischiefe were more tollerable but honours will not there helpe neyther riches defend friends heere cannot preuaile nor seruants giue theyr attendance neyther can families nor the noblenes of descent profit any thing in riches there is no hope all the helpe for one that lies a dying is in Christ in Vertue and in innocencie of life For the vvise-man testifieth that Riches helpe not in the day of vengeance but righteousnes that is Vertue deliuereth from death Seeing therefore that a sinner is found so naked poore and destitute of all helpe and ayde how can he not but feare and be afflicted when as he seeth himselfe left alone forsaken and desolate neyther hauing any hope or confidence in that Diuine iudgement ¶ Of the death of the righteous BVt the death of the righteous is farre off from these miseries and calamities For euen as at that time the wicked receaue the punishment of theyr iniquity so the righteous receaue the wages of their vprightnes according to that of Ecclesiasticus Who so feareth the Lord it shall goe well with him at the last and in the day of his death he shall be blessed That is he shall be enriched and shall receaue the reward of his labours Saint Iohn in his Reuelation doth insinuate the same thing more manifestly when he sayth that he heard a voyce from heauen saying vnto him Write The words which he was commaunded to write were Blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord. Euen so sayth the Spirit that they may rest from theyr labour and their works follow them How can he be discouraged in that houre that heareth this of the Lord when he now seeth himselfe hasten thether where he shall receaue that which he desired all the time of his life Therefore of the righteous it is reade in the booke of Iob And thine age shall appeare more cleare then the noone day thou shalt shine and be as the morning Which words Saint Gregory expounding
saying An vngodly man will not be reformed but can helpe himselfe with the example of others in his purpose That is with apparant excuses The same thing also Salomon seemeth to tell vs of when he sayth He that would depart from his friend seeketh occasions So hee that would depart from God as sinners doe seeke and at length finde out some of these excuses some deferre and procrastinate their repentance putting it off from day to day others reserue it to the ende of theyr life many say that they absent themselues from godly and vertuous lyuing because it is painefull and laborious some cheere vp themselues through the hope of the Diuine mercy supposing that they shall be saued by a naked and fruitlesse fayth and a dead hope without charity to be briefe others being inamoured of this world will not change the felicity which they think they possesse in it with the promises of Gods word These in a manner be the fraudes and errors the snares and nets with which the enemy of mankind ensnareth and entangleth the vnderstanding of men that he may detayne them all their life long prisoners and flaues vnder sinne that at the length death may set vpon them sodainly and oppresse them at vnawares To all these cauelations and friuolous excuses we will aunswere in this last part of this booke But first of all we will dissolue and aunswere their obiection who put off the amendment of their life 's vnto the time to come which excuse is more vsuall and more generall then the rest There are many that confesse that all things are true which hetherto haue beene spoken and that there is not any estate or condition more secure and safe then theirs that embrace and follow after Vertue yea and that they themselues will heereafter enter into a vertuous and a godly kinde of life but they cannot yet but the time will come when they shall doe it with greater conueniencie and performe it with more perfection So Saint Augustine saith of himselfe O Lord I had not wherwith to aunswere thee when thou saydst vnto me Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and Christ shall illuminate enlighten thee and thou demonstrating in euery poynt those things to be true which thou spakest vnto me I beeing conuinced with the truth had not any aunswere at all but onely the words and speaches of a loytering sluggard of a drouzie sleeper By and by and behold anone and let me alone a little But by and by and behold anone had neyther measure nor moderation and let me alone a little held on a long time So also the wicked at this day deale with God still procrastinating and putting off the time and neuer comming vnto true conuersion It is no hard thing to shew that this was the deceipt of that old Serpent to whom it is no new or vnusuall thing to lye and to deceaue miserable men and if I shall conuince this I thinke that I shall take away this controuersie and dissolue this obiection For we all know that nothing ought more to be wished of Christian men then the health of their soules and for this respect the amendment of their lifes is necessarily required for without this it is most certaine that no man can be saued So that heere nothing commeth into question but the time in which the life ought to be amended In the rest there is no discent Thou sayst that thy conuersion is to be deferred till the time to come my assertion is that it ought to be done presently Therefore let vs see whether opinion is more probable and more conformable vnto the truth But before we speake of the easines and facility of conuersion tell me I pray thee who hath promised thee this time to come How many men haue there been whom this vaine hope hath miserably deceaued Although God sayth Gregory hath promised pardon to the penitent yet he hath not promised tomorrow to a sinner Not vnlike to this is that of another learned Writer Some man will say when I come vnto old age then I will runne vnto the remedy of repentance Why dare mans frailty presume thus much of himselfe seeing he hath not one day of all his life in his owne power Verily I suppose that innumerable soules haue perished through this vaine perswasion After this manner that rich man in the Gospell perished of whom Saint Luke wryteth that when his fielde had brought foorth plentifull fruites hee thought within himselfe saying What shal I doe because I haue no roome where to bestow my fruits And he said This will I doe I will pull downe my barnes and build greater and therein will I gather all my fruites and my goods And I will say to my soule Soule thou hast much goods laid vp in store for many yeeres take thine ease eate drinke and be merry But whilst this miserable man thought thus with himselfe a voyce vvas heard saying vnto him Thou foole this night doe they require thy soule againe from thee then whose shall those things be vvhich thou hast prouided Therefore what greater foolishnes can there be then that a man by his owne authority should presume to dispose of that that is to come no otherwise then if he had beene set and appoynted to gouerne times and seasons which the eternall Father hath put in his owne power And if Saint Iohn say that the sonne onely hath the keyes of life and death that hee may shut and open to whom he pleaseth and when he pleaseth how dare a vild and an obiect worme attribute vnto himselfe and vsurpe this authority Onely this impudent boldnes is worthy of notorious punishment that is that he should finde no place of repentance in the time to come who vainely and fruitlesly passeth ouer that time which God hath graunted vnto him That so this punishment may giue vnderstanding and that a foole thereby may become the wiser But seeing that the number of them that are thus chasticed is very great men shall doe very aduisedly if by other mens harme they become more wary and out of other mens danger they learne to be more circumspect following that good counsaile of Ecclesiasticus saying Make no tarrying to turne vnto the Lord and put not off from day to day for sodainly shall his wrath come and in the time of vengeance he shall destroy thee But let vs graunt that thy life shall be as long and lasting as thou perswadest and promisest vnto thy selfe tell me I pray thee whether will be more easie now to amend it or heereafter when thou hast procrastinated and deferred thy conuersion But that thou mayst vnderstand that better which we say we will by the way rehearse the chiefest causes from whence this difficulty ariseth It ariseth not from those impediments lets which they imagine but from an euill habite and from the corruption of a naughty custom of a
his kingdome why doost thou draw backe to loue so gracious a Father And why doost thou not blush to deferre to the end of thy life to embrace so good and so bountifull a Lord How is it possible that thou shouldest perswade thy selfe that thou canst satisfie him with so short a worship who is determined to bestow vpon thee euerlasting benefits For it is requisite and meete that seeing the rewards are eternall that the worship should also be eternall if it possibly might be Which seeing that it cannot be yea seeing that thy worship and seruice is no longer then the life of one man why then wilt thou take from the Diuine worship the greater part of this short space and leaue vnto him the lesser and worser part For euen as out of a vessell sayth Seneca first that commeth forth which is the purest but that which is muddy and troubled sinketh to the bottome so in the age of our life that which is the best is the first Therefore let vs not reserue the dregs for God but let vs offer him the first purest See I pray thee what part is that that thou reseruest for the Lord God Cursed be the deceitfull sayth the Prophet which hath in his flocke a male and voweth and sacrificeth a corrupt thing to the Lord because I am a great King sayth the Lord of Hostes and my name is fearefull among the Heathen As if he should say to so great a Lord as I am great seruices and worships are due For it is mighty iniury to offer to so excellent a Maiesty those things which are the worst and basest Why therfore doost thou reserue the greater and better part of thy life for the seruice of deuils and sacrificest that part to God which the world resuseth Heare what the Lord sayth Thou shalt not haue in thy bag two manner of waights a great and a small neyther shalt thou haue in thine house diuers measures a great and a small But thou shalt haue a right and iust waight and a perfect and a iust measure shalt thou haue And darest thou agaynst this law haue two vnequall measures one so great for the deuill as if he were thy friend and the other so small for God as if he were thine enemy Besides all these if all these benefits seeme base and vild vnto thee yet I desire thee that at least-wife thou wouldest remember that inestimable benefit by which God the father gaue vnto thee his onely begotten sonne for he gaue that life for the price of thy soule which was more precious then all the life 's of men and Angels Wherfore although thou hadst the lifes of all men and also infinit others that in thee were all that lyueth or could liue all that thou owest to the giuer of that life Neyther was this sufficient Therfore with what forehead with what impudency with what ingratitude doost thou deny to giue this sole life which thou hast being so short so weake and so miserable to that Lord who for thee hath giuen a life so noble and so excellent It were somwhat tollerable if thou wouldest but giue that but certainly to take away the better part of this miserable life and to giue onely the dregs to him is intollerable and extreame impudency Therfore let that of Salomon in his Preacher be the conclusion of this Chapter Remember thy Creatour in the dayes of thy youth or euer the dayes of aduersity come and or the yeeres draw nigh when thou shalt say I haue no pleasure in them Before the sunne the light the moone and starres be darkned and or the clouds turne againe after the rayne When the keepers of the house shall tremble that is thy hands when the strong men shall bow themselues that is thy thighs which support the whole masse of thy body when the milners stand still because they be so few that is thy teeth or iawes and when the sight of the windowes shall waxe dim that is thy sight shall faile when the dores in the streetes shall be shut for then also the instruments of other sences shall decay and when the voyce of the milner shall be layde downe when men shall rise vp at the voyce of the bird that is at the crowing of a Cock by reason of lack of sleepe which happeneth in that age and when all the daughters of Musicke shall be brought low That is thine eares because all the arteryes are shut so that no sound can enter by which the hearing is made When men shall feare in high places be afraid in the streetes for old men can hardly walke vp ascending cliffie rockie waies When the Almond tree shall flourish for thy head shall be full of white haires and be loaden with the Grashopper and when all lust shall passe for which some haue translated that thy backe shall be loaden that is shall be bowed and crooked and thy concupiscence shall be lost for daily more and more the strength of our hart faileth vs in which is the seate of our appetites Because man goeth to his long home which is his graue and the Mourners goe about the streets that is his friends and kinsfolkes When the dust shall be turned againe vnto earth from whence it came and the spirit shall returne vnto God who gaue it Hetherto are the words of Salomon Remember therefore my brother thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth according to this description and doe not deferre thy repentance ouer to yeeres so troublesome vnpleasant in which nature faileth the strength of all thy sences in which man hath more need of all the cherishing that may be and to supply that by industrie which is wanting to naturall strength then to embrace the labours and troubles of repentance When as vertue shall rather seeme a necessitie then a will When as vices shall be honested by vs for they forsake vs before we forsake them although for the most part such is the old age as the fore-passed youth was according to that of Ecclesiasticus If thou hast gathered nothing in thy youth what wilt thou finde in thine age Therefore it is very wholsome counsaile that in another place the same Ecclesiasticus giueth saying Abide not thou in the errour of the vngodly but giue thankes before death As for the dead thankefulnes perrisheth from him as nothing giue thou thanks in thy life yea while thou art liuing and whole shalt thou giue thanks and praise God and reioyce in his mercie Surely great in times past was that misterie that amongst the diseased he was healed who first stepped into the Poole after the water had been troubled of the Angell that thou thereby mayst vnderstand how that all our safetie consisteth in that if we forth-with without any lingering obey the heauenly and diuine inspirations and motions Come therefore my brother and make hast To day sayth the Prophet if thou
which is made at the poynt of death and in extreamity is sildome true by reason of the great difficulty that happeneth at this time He prooueth this conclusion by foure reasons or arguments The first is by reason of the great perturbations which arise out of the greatnes of griefes sicknes and the presence of Death through which the hart is lesse able to lift vp it selfe to God and rightly to busie it selfe in the exercises of true repentance For the better vnderstanding of this argument we must know that all the perturbations of our hart haue great force to disturbe and hinder our will and sences and according to the rule of Philosophy in this effect and euent the affections or passions are much more powerfull which cause sorrow and sadnes then those that procure mirth and ioy Hence it is that the perturbations or affections of one dying are exceeding strong and of all other most powerfull For as Aristotle saith death is the most dreadfull of all terrible things there being so many dolours discruciatements in the body so many afflictions and anguishes in the soule so great sorrow and care for children wife the world all which are to be forsaken Amongst so many and so tempestuous winds of the passions where shall the sences be and where the cogitations but where these dolours and perturbations doe carry and whirle them Daily experience teacheth vs that if any one be tormented with the tooth-ach or by any other sharpe payne although he be a very godly and a religious man yet scarcely then can he stedfastly lift vp his hart to God nay all the sences thoughts haue recourse thither where the griefe is If this happeneth to the righteous what will he doe who neuer accustomed himselfe to thinke of God and who so much is readier to endanger his greater friend then his lesser by how much he is apter and proner to loue his body better then his soule Amongst the foure impediments of contemplation which S. Bernard doth reckon vp one is the euill disposition and temperature of the body For then the soule is so vrged and occupied with the dolours of the flesh that scarce it permitteth a man to thinke vpon any other thing besides that which then greeueth and excruciateth him Which if it be true what greater dotage or madnes can there be then to expect tarry and wayte for the worst disposition and temperature of the body in it to handle and deal with the greatest businesses of the soule I knew a certaine man who being at the poynt of death when he was willed and admonished to prepare himselfe for his end for the glasse of his life was now runned out he was so affrighted and ouerwhelmed with the presence of death that he thought vpon nothing els then how he might escape the danger of death as if the date of his life had beene put in his owne hands and he had the ordering and determining of it All his care was how he might remedy and auoyde this danger if possibly it might be But when the Minister saw him so little carefull and troubled with those things which were necessary for that time he admonished him that he should let passe such thoughts and begin earnestly to call vpon God The sicke man hardly taking this aâ—â—onition began to talke a farre off from the purpose and so yeeleded vp the ghost Notwithstanding this man had beene a louer of Vertue wherby thou mayst see how the presence of Death doth disturbe and disquiet them who are in loue with their lifes seeing that it so greatly troubled him who at other times had despised it I knew also another man who when hee had fallen into a most dangerous and greeuous sicknes and saw Death now at hand he earnestly desired to conferre a little with God and to preuent the Iudge by a deuoute prayer before hee should depart out of this life but sorrowes and the continuall accidents of his infirmity would let him haue no rest If therfore onely preparation to repentance bâ—so hard at that time who will be so fond and mad to defer and prorogue the remedy and repentance of his whole life to that moment The second reason of the Shoole-man is that true repentance ought to be voluntary that is it ought to be done willingly and not of constraint or compelled by necessitie Thys is that which Saint Augustine saith Let no man tarry so long as he can sin For God requireth the liberty of the vvill that thy faultes may be wiped away he requireth not necessity but charitie not onely feare because man liueth not onely in feare Therefore it behoueth him that lately repenteth not onely to feare the Iudge but to loue him because without charitie no man can be saued Wherefore that man that neuer truly repenteth himselfe in his life time but prorogeth it to the houre of death he seemeth not to bring forth repentance of will but of compulsion â—â—d if of constraint or necessity then it is not meerely voluntary Such was the repentance of Shimei for that offence which he had committed against Dauid when hee fled from the face of his sonne Absolon Which Shimei when he saw that the victory did incline to Dauid and considering of the mischiefe that hung ouer his head he descended with the men of Iuda to meete King Dauid and with the thousand men of Beniamin and prostrating himselfe before the King he craued pardon for his fault Which when Abishai heard he sayd Shall not Shimei die for this because he cursed the Lords annointed But holy king Dauid not ignorâ—â—â— of what small desert this repentance was for the time wisely dissembled the deede yet he would not that it should vtterly passe vnreuenged but when he was at deaths doore not for any desire of reuenge but in the zeale of iustice he commaunded his sonne that hee should not suffer it to goe vnreuenged who afterwards commanded him to be slaine Of this kinde and nature seemeth the repentance of many wicked Christians to be who when they haue perscuered all theyr lyfe thorow in sinne offending God when the houre of rendering an account shall draw neere when they see death approching and the graue open and the Iudge present when they shall vnderstand that no strength or power can be founde against that infinite power omnipotencie and that that shall be determined in that moment which is for euer irreuocable then they turne themselues vnto the Iudge with prayers and protestations which if they be true certainly they are profitable But the common euent teacheth what manner of prayers and protestations they were and are for we haue learned by experience that many of them hauing escaped this danger forthwith haue forgot all that they promised and as Swine haue returned to theyr wallowing in the myre yea they haue reuersed and recalled that good which then they purposed and haue againe embraced those
things which then they estimated preiudiciall to their soules as if they were the men that had not doone that they did for the loue of God but onely for feare of the extreamitie in which at that time they were which ceasing also the effect ceaseth which thereupon followed Whereby it most manifestly appeareth that this repētance is like vnto that which Saylers make who when they are in extreamity and danger of shypwrack they promise to change their lifes to embrace vertue and I know not what protestations they make but vvhen the storme is appeased and ouer-past and a wished calme commeth and they are without ieopardy byand by they returne to theyr former vomit they laugh they trifle they blaspheme carouse and sweare and become worser then they were before making no account of their vowes and protestations yea reputing them as dreames and toyes The third reason is because the custome of sinne in vvhich the sinner hath hetherto liued will almost neuer forsake a man but euen till death waiteth vpon him and followeth him no otherwise then the shadow doth the body For custome is another nature which is not ouercome without very great difficultie And so we see by experience that many at the houre of theyr deaths are so little carefull for the saluation of their soules are so couetous so drowned in carnall and wordly things such louers of this life that they would still enioy it if at any price they might buy it so captiuated in the loue of this world so enamoured with all those things that they loued in it as if they vvere not at all at this passe or in this danger Haue you not often-times seene old men so greedy and so couetous that they haue neuer intermitted one houre nor slacked any time to hourd vp the pelfe of this worlde who notwithstanding are vnmercifull and haue theyr hands shut when they should doe any good and whose affections and appetites are very fresh and liuely in prosecuting the businesse of thys world heaping vp riches without end or meane which they must leaue in the world GOD knowes to whom but to anie good worke reprobate and dull This is a punishment not the least by which God punisheth sinne permitting it to attend vpon the offender to the graue according to that of S. Gregorie God chastiseth a sinner with this kinde of punishment that he permitteth him to forget and be vnmindfull of himselfe in the houre of death because he remembred not God in his lyfe And so one negligence or obliuion is punished by another the forgetfulnes of the fault is punished with that obliuion which is both a punishment and a fault which we see and heare verified by daily experience for how often doe we heare that many haue wished to die and haue died in the armes of theyr harlots whom they tenderly loued that as in theyr life time they would not expell them out of their houses so in death they would not forsake them because by the iust iudgement of God they are become vtterly vnmindfull obliuious both of themselues and of their soules The fourth reason of the Schoole-man is founded in the qualitie of the valour of the workes which are commonly done at that houre for euery one who hath but a sparke of Diuine light seeth plainly how farre different the works that then are done are from the works which are done of a man sound and in health he acknowledgeth I say that those much lesse please God then these That gift cannot be very acceptable to God as saith a certaine holy woman which therefore is offered because the last day so enioynes it for it is not of the right nature of a gift What I pray thee is it to pardon an iniury at that houre when not to pardon it is a great reproch Doost thou thinke it praise worthy that then thou leauest thy Concubine when thou must leaue her whether thou wilt or no neither may shee stay any longer in thine house By these reasons this subtile Doctor concludeth that a man with great difficultie in that houre truely repenteth Yea he saith that a Christian who of a set purpose deferreth his repentance to the houre of death doth very highly sinne by reason of the great iniury that he offereth to his owne soule and by reason of the great danger vnto which he exposeth his saluation Now I leaue the Reader to his owne conscience and consideration that he may see whether there is any thing more to be feared then this ¶ Certaine authorities of the holy Scripture confirming the precedent sentences of the Doctors BVt because the strength and bulwarke of all this disputation consisteth in the word of God for against this there is neyther appeale nor answere heare what it teacheth vs concerning this matter Salomon in the first chapter of his Prouerbs after he had related the words by which the eternall Wisedome calleth man to repentance hee in like manner adioyneth those wordes which shee will speake to those that doe not obey her call Because saith she I haue called and yee refused I haue stretched out my hand and no man regarded But all my counsailes haue ye despised and sette my correction at naught Therefore will I also laugh at your destruction mocke you when the thing that ye feare commeth vpon you Euen when the thing that ye be afraid of falleth in suddainly like a storme and your miserie like a tempest yea when trouble and heauines commeth vpon you Then shall they call vppon mee but I will not answere they shall seeke mee early but they shall not finde mee And that because they hated knowledge and did not choose the feare of the Lord. Hetherto be the wordes of Salomon or that I may speake better of God himselfe Which Saint Gregory in his Morrall bookes doth expound to be spoken of this repentance which heere we handle What can be aunswered vnto this Are not these threatnings sufficient being from God himselfe to make thee to feare and to admonish thee that betimes thou prepare thy selfe for that houre But heare also another testimony not lesse plaine then this The Lord reasoning in the Gospell of his comming to iudgement he aduiseth and counsaileth his Disciples with great instancie that they prepare themselues against that day hauing vsed many parables and similitudes to that end that by them they might vnderstand of what great weight that matter was His words be these Blessed is that seruant whom his Lord when he commeth shall finde watching But if that euill seruant shall say in his hart My Lord will be long a comming and so beginne to finite his fellowes yea and to care and drinke with the drunken The same seruants Lord shall come in a day when he looketh not for him and in an houre that he is not ware of and shall hew him in peeces and giue him his portion with the Hipocrites It is playne and euident by
mistery of that time it will be counted a ridiculous thing to thinke that these are matters for all times and places which were onely proper for that time We see also in all well ordered common wealths that some things be done ordinarily and alwayes after the same manner and some things that are vsed extraordinarily Ordinary things are common to all but the extraordinary are proper to some certaine The same thing also commeth in vse in the common wealth of God which is his Church And so that of the Apostle is regular and ordinary Whose end shall be according to theyr works signifying that after the common manner of speaking an euill death followeth an euill life and a good death a good life And it is an ordinary thing that those that embrace Vertue and leade a godly life doe enter into an eternal life and those that liue viciously and wickedly to be cast into hell fire This sentence is common and true which the holy Scripture doth beate vpon in many places This the Psalmes doe sing of this the Prophets doe celebrate this the Apostles doe preach of this the Euangelists haue noted The kingly Prophet hath comprehended this in few words when he sayd God spake once and twice I haue also heard the same that power belongeth vnto God And that thou Lord art mercifull for thou rewardest euery man according to his worke This is the summe of all Christian Philosophy Therfore according to this speach of Dauid we say that it is an ordinary thing that as well the righteous as the sinner should receaue a reward at the end of their lifes according to the works which they haue done Yet besides this vniuersall law God can by his especiall grace and fauour bestow mercy vpon some that they should dye the death of the righteous who haue liued the life of sinners as also it may come to passe that he that hath liued like a righteous man in this world by the secret iudgement of God may dye as a sinner As it happeneth vnto them who haue sayled very fortunately in a long voyage and at the very mouth of the Hauen suffer shipwrack Hence it is that Salomon sayth Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth vpward and the breath of the beast that goeth downe to the earth For although it be alwayes in a manner true that their soules who liue like beasts descend to hell and that theirs that liue like men ascend to heauen yet in the secret and particuler iudgement of God this order may be somtimes inuerted Yet it is safe and generall doctrine that a good liuer shall haue a blessed death Therefore no man ought for the praecedent causes to leane to their examples who haue been saued by especiall and particuler grace and sauour for they make no generall rule nor extend themselues to all men but onely to few and those vnknowne Neyther canst thou know whether thou art contayned in that number But if thou obiectest vnto me the repentance of the Niniuites which proceeded from feare least they should all haue beene destroyed within forty dayes consider thou not onely their sharpe and seuere repentance which they made but also their change of life Change thou also thy life after the same manner and the same mercy shall not forsake thee But I perceaue that thou art scarcely recouered of thine infirmity and scarcely risen out of bed seeing that thou straightwayes runnest to the first kind of life and recallest all that which thou didst purpose when thou wast weake Wherfore I leaue thee to consider what I may think of thy repentance ¶ The conclusion of the former disputation WHatsoeuer hath hetherto beene spoken hath not beene spoken to that end that it should shut the gate of saluation or of hope against any man for neyther hath any of the Saints shut it neyther ought any man to shut it but to this end that the wicked may be recalled turned from that refuge and fortresse in which they lurke and are made mightier to perseuere in their iniquities But tell me I pray thee my brother if all the voyces and iudgements of Doctors and holy men if all reasons if the holy and sacred Scripture pronounce so dangerous and perillous things of it how darest thou hope for saluation in so great danger and hazard In whom doest thou trust that will helpe thee in this ieopardy Perhaps thou placest thy hope in thy preparations in thine almes and in thy prayers Thou vnderstoodest a little before how the fiue foolish virgins with great care would haue prepared made ready thēselues after that they had heard the voyce telling them that the Bridegrome came thou hast learned also with what great instancie they knocked and cryed at the doore yet it profited none of them for it proceeded not of true loue or of true repentance Perhaps thou trustest to thy teares which thou wilt poure forth at that time surely vnfained teares at all times are auailable happy is that man that from his very hart can poure thē foorth but remember I pray thee what teares Esau shedde Who as the Apostle saith found no place of repentance though he sought it with teares For he did not weepe for the loue of GOD but for his owne commoditie Or doost thou put thy hope in thy good purposes which thou then settest before thine eyes These are of force vvhen they are true and sincere but remember the purposes of King Antiochus who when hee was in this danger promised such great and magnificent things that it would make a man amazed that readeth them This wicked man saith that booke prayed vnto the Lord of whom he obtayned no mercy The reason was for all things that he purposed proceeded not of the spirit of loue but of seruill feare which is not acceptable For to feare hell may proceede of the meere naturall loue which man beareth to himselfe But that man loueth himselfe is no reason that the kingdome of heauen should be giuen vnto him Insomuch that as no man entred into the pallace of King Assuerus clothed in Sackcloth so it is lawfull for no man to enter into the pallace of God with a seruill garment but all that will enter must be clothed with wedding garments that is adorned and beautified with true loue and charitie Wherefore my brother I pray and intreate thee that thou wouldest reade and consider of these things with great attention that thou after a very short time without all doubt shalt come to this houre and to this ieopardy For thou seest vvith what great swiftnes heauen is turned about and with what velocitie time slippeth and posteth away how soone the thred of thy life shall be cut off The day of destruction is at hand sayth the Prophet and the times that shall come make hast Therefore a little space of time being ouer-past this prophecie shal be fulfilled Then thou shalt
perceiue and know that I haue beene a true Prophet in these things which I haue admonished thee of Then thou shalt see thy selfe compassed about with dolours loaden with those things that are yrkesome vnto thee and miserablie afflicted with the presence of death wayting for the condition which straightwayes shall be awarded either that thou shalt be for euer happy or for euer vnhappy O perrilous estate ô hard and dangerous way ô sentence after which euerlasting death or euerlasting life is to be expected ô who can alter this Decree at that houre ô who shall be able to heare that sentence My brother now thou hast aduantage doe not neglect it now thou hast time make the Iudge thy friend that hee may be sauourable vnto thee Heare therefore and follow the counsell of the Prophet who saith Seeke yee the Lord whilst he may be found call vpon him whilst hee is at hande For now the Lorde is at hand to heare vs albeit wee see him not In the houre of iudgement we shall see him but hee will not heare vs vnlesse we be such as are to be heard now Against them that through the hope of the Diuine mercie doe continue and perseuere in theyr sinnes CHAP. XXVII SOme men there are that persisting and continuing in their wicked life doe cheere vp and comfort themselues in hope of Gods mercie and the merrits of Christes passion and to these as to the other their errour is to bee showen Thou sayest that the mercy of God is vnmeasurable infinite for he willingly would be crucified as a malefactour for sinners I confesse indeede that his mercy is exceeding great for it suffereth thee to vtter so lauishlie such cursed blasphemie as that thou wouldest his goodnes bounfulnes should be a fautour and a fauourer of thy wickednesse and that his Crosse which hee apprehended as a meane to destroy the kingdome of sinne should be made of thee a meane to strengthen and defence sinne and whereas thou shouldest offer a thousand lifes vnto him if thou haddest so many because he hath sacrificed his life for thee there thou takest an occasion to denie that one vnto him which thou hast yea vvhich thou hast receiued of him This grieueth thy Sauiour more then the death did which he suffered for thee for hee who neyther lamented nor deplored his own death most greeuously lamenteth and bewaileth thy sinnes in the Prophet saying The plowers plowed vpon my backe and made long furrowes Tell me I pray thee who hath taught thee thus to argue that because God is good and gracious thou shouldest conclude that it is lawful for thee to sinne and to follow wickednes The holy Ghost seemeth vnto me to conclude after another manner that because God is good and gracious he gathereth that he is worthy to be worshipped obeyed and to be loued aboue all things And because God is good it is meete that I be good also and that I should trust in him who although I be a most greeuous sinner yet is ready to receiue me into fauour if I with all my hart will be conuerted vnto him Because God is good and so good it is double wickednes to offend so great magnificent a goodnesse Therefore by how much the more thou doost exemplifie the goodnes of GOD by so much the more thou doost aggrauate thy sinne which thou committest against him And it is meet and equall that so great a sinne should be punished for it is the nature and dutie of the Diuine iustice which also thou esteemest not to be contrary but the sister and the auenger of the Diuine goodnesse that it should not leaue so enormous an iniury vnpunished Thys kinde of excuse is not newe or sprung vp of late but very old and vsuall in the world This in times past was the difference betweene the true and the false Prophets because the true did denounce the threatnings of God against the people and did exaggerate and aggrauate his iustice but the false on their owne heads did promise false peace and mercy But when the punishments of GOD did approue the veritie of the one part and the falsehood of the other the true Prophets sayde Where are now your Prophets which prophecied vnto you saying The King of Babell shall not come against you nor against this Land◠Thou sayst that the mercy of God is great Thou which sayst so credite me GOD hath not opened thine eyes that thou mightest see the greatnesse of his iustice For if thou haddest thine eyes open to behold it thou wouldest say with the Prophet Who knoweth the power of thy wrath for according to thy feare is thine anger But that thou mayst be freed from this dangerous perrilour errour I pray thee let vs dispute of the matter a little and be ruled by reason Neyther thou nor I doe see the Diuine iustice as it is in it selfe that we may come to the knowledge of the measure of it Neither doe we know God himselfe in this worlde but by hys workes Therefore let vs enter into the spirituall world of the holy Scripture then let vs goe out into this corporall world wherein we liue and let vs out of them both reason what the Diuine iustice is that by this meanes we may know it Certainly this consideration will be most profitable For besides thys end which now we propose vnto our selues we shall reape also out of it another fruite for it will a fresh stirre vp in our harts the feare of the Lord which as the Doctors say is the treasure the keeper and burthen of our soules For euen as a ship is not safe without balas or lastage for it is easily tossed with euerie winde nowe no this side and now on that to the great danger of the shyp so is the soule endangered which lacketh the ballas burthen of the diuine feare This feare poyzeth the soule that the windes of worldly fauour or of diuine graces doe not tosse and pusse it vp and so ouerthrowe it Although it be defenced yet if it hath not his balas it is in ieopardy Neither onelie the Punyes and Incipients but also those that are growen old must necessarily liue in feare in Gods house Not onely the sinners and guiltie must feare who haue great cause so to doe but the righteous also are not to be freed who haue no such great cause to feare Sinners must feare because they haue offended and also the righteous least they should offend theyr faultes and misdemeanors past ought to strike feare into them but the dangers to come ought to terrifie these But if thou desirest to know how this holy feare is engendered and wrought in thee I say that it is wrought when it is infused by grace and it is preserued and increaseth by the consideration of the works of the Diuine iustice of which we begin now to speake Consider of them often and reuolue
doest thou promise that thou thy selfe wilt performe it This question is aunswerrd by the words of Augustine who sayth Lord giue that thou commaundest and commaund what thou wilt So that he be the same vvho commaundeth me what I ought to doe and he that giueth me grace to doe it Therfore in one and the selfe same thing both the commaundement and the promise are found and God and man doe one and the selfe same thing he as the principall and chiefest cause but man as a cause lesse principall So that God in this busines carrieth himselfe to man as a Paynter who guideth the pencill in the hand of his Scholler and so maketh a perfect picture two perfit this worke but more honour belongeth to the one then to the other So also God worketh with vs in this busines after an absolute manner man hath not wherein to glory but to glory with the Prophet and say Lord thou workest all our works in vs. Therefore be thou mindfull of these words for by them thou mayst interpret all the commaundements of God For all that he commaundeth thee to doe he promiseth also that he will doe it with thee When as therfore he commaundeth thee to circumcise thine hart he sayth also that he will circumcise it so when he commaundeth thee that thou shouldest loue him aboue all things he bestoweth grace vpon thee that thou mayst be able so to loue him Hence it is that the yoke of the Lord is sayd to be sweete For there be two that draw it God man and so that which seemed and was difficult vnto nature the Diuine grace doth make it light and sweet Wherefore the Prophet after the fore-sayd words doth proceede further and say This commaundement which I commaund thee this day is not hid from thee neyther is it farre of It is not in heauen that thou shouldest say who shall goe vp for vs to heauen and bring it vs and cause vs to heare it that we may doe it Neyther is it beyond the Sea that thou shouldest say Who shall goe ouer the Sea for vs and bring it us and cause vs to heare it that we may doe it But the word is very neere vnto thee euen in thy mouth and in thine hart for to doe it In which words the holy Prophet would altogether take away that difficulty which carnall men imagine to be in the precepts of the Lord for they onely looking to the law of the Lord without the Gospell that is to those things that are commaunded and not to the grace which is giuen to obey and walk in those commaundements they accuse the law of difficulty saying that it is greeuous heauy difficult not considering that they expresly contradict Saint Iohn who sayth For this is the loue of God that we keepe his commaundements his commaundements are not greeuous for all that is borne of God ouercommeth the world That is all they that haue conceaued the spyrit of God in their soules by meanes of whom they are regenerated and made his sonnes whose spirit they haue receaued all these haue God in them who dwelleth in them by grace and they can doe more then all that that is not God and so neyther the world nor the deuill nor all the power of hell can hurt them And here-vpon it followeth that although the yoke of Gods commaundements be heauy and burthenous yet that newe strength and fortitude which is giuen by grace doth make it light and tollerable ¶ How Charity also maketh the way easie and pleasant which leadeth vnto heauen WHat wilt thou think if to all these precedent another help be ioyned which is deriued in vs from Charity For it is certaine that it is one of the most principall conditions of Charity to make the yoke of the Diuine law most sweet Wherfore as Saint Augustine sayth by no manner of meanes the labours of louers are burthenous or combersome but are delightfull and pleasurable as the labours of Hunters Fowlers and Fishers For in that which is loued eyther there is no labour or the labour is loued And in another place He that loueth sayth he laboureth not For all labour is contrary vnto them that doe not loue It is onely loue that blusheth at the name of difficulty What is it that maketh that a mother doth not feele the continuall labours and troubles which she hath in bringing vp her children but onely loue What is it that maketh an honest and a good vvife to attend night and day vpon her weake and sickly husband but onely loue What doth moue beasts also that they are so carefull to bring vp and foster their young ones and to giue them meate from their owne mouthes that theyr yong may haue to eate what doth moue them I say so to trouble and torment themselues that they may liue safely and what doth moue them so strongly to defend them endangering their owne lifes but true loue What is the cause why Saint Paule sayd with so magnanimous a spirit Who shall seperate vs from the loue of Christ shall tribulation or anguish or persecution or famine or nakednes or perill or sword As it is written For thy sake are we killed all day long we are counted as sheepe for the slaughter Neuertheles in all these things we are more then conquerers through him that loued vs. For I am perswaded that neyther death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor thinges present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to seperate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. What is the cause why the holy Martyrs of Christ so feruently desired martirdome as the hart desireth the water brookes but true loue What is the cause why Saint Lawrence lying vpon the Gridiron in the midst of his torments sayde cheerefully that the flames did comfort and refresh his limbs but that great desire by which he longed for martirdom which was kindled with the flames of this loue For true loue thinketh nothing hard nothing bitter nothing greeuous nothing deadly as Petrus Rauennas sayth What sword what wounds what paynes what death can preuaile against perfect and true loue Loue is an impenetrable coate offence it resisteth darts it beateth backe the sword it tryumpheth ouer dangers it scorneth death if it be loue it ouercommeth all things Therefore ô man loue God loue him wholy that thou mayst ouercome and subdue all sinnes without labour The warre is pleasant and the combat delicate onely by loue to carry the victory ouer all crimes and vices This sayth he Neyther is true loue content if it conquer all labours and troubles but the very nature of loue desireth to sustaine moe labours and troubles for his sake whom it affecteth Hence ariseth that ardent desire of martyrdome which righteous and truly religious men haue that is to shed and poure forth
and should put off that he had on before and although the same lineaments and ioynts of the body remayned yet he should change his minde and disposition I sayd how may such a conuersion be possible that that should speedily and on a sodaine be put off which eyther being bred in the bone is soundly confirmed by reason of the solidity of naturall matter or being accustomed is so deeply rooted by the customary frequentation of continuall practise These are firmely and profoundly fixed and haue taken fast rooting When shall he learne thriftines and frugality who hath continually accustomed himselfe to delicates feasts and large banquets Or how shall hee fit himselfe to homely and simple attire who hath vsually been inuested with glorious garments and shined in gold and purple He being delighted and setting his pleasure vpon honours and dignities cannot abide to be priuate or inglorious Hee being wayted vpon with multitudes of men and honoured with a company of officious seruants thinketh it a punishment and a plague when he is alone He that continually entangleth himselfe with the fast-hold enticements of pleasures and vices it becommeth a necessity vnto him still to frequent them his drunkennes inuiteth him his pride puffeth him vp his wrath inflameth him his rapes disquiet him his cruelty prouoketh him his ambition allureth him and his lust carrieth and driueth him headlong whether it list I often considered of these things with my selfe for as I my selfe was wrapped in very many errors of my former life which I thought vnpossible to be shut of so also I was obsequious vnto the vices that did sticke and cleaue vnto me and despayring of a better estate I abounded with mine owne euils as though they were proper and naturall vnto me But afterwards the blemish of my former life was washed away by the helpe of that begetting water and the heauenly light poured it selfe into my purged and clensed breast and afterwards the second birth had made me a new man by the operation of the heauenly spirit after a wonderfull and strange manner by and by doubtfull matters were confirmed vnto me secret matters layd open and matters altogether obscure and darke did appeare and that before seemed difficult now began to be easie and that seemed possible which before was thought impossible as it was to acknowledge that to haue beene earthly which before had liued carnally was borne in sinne and endangered with vices and this to be of God which now the holy Ghost hath quickened Thou assuredly knowest and in like manner thou canst recognize with me what this death of vices hath hindered vs of and what this life of vertues hath bestowed vpon vs. Thou thy selfe knowest neyther need I publish it because oftentation of selfe-prayse is odious albeit this cannot be taken as a boast or brag but acceptably for it is not ascribed to the vertue of man but divulged to be the gift of God that now not to sinne began to be of fayth which before to sinne was of humane errour Hetherto be the words of Cyprian by which both thine and the errour of many others is layd open who measure the difficulty of Vertue by their owne strength and therefore they deeme it a thing difficult and impossible to attayne vnto not considering that if they runne to Gods armes and firmely purpose to auoyde sinne that the grace of God will embrace them which maketh this way plaine and easie as here it is manifest by this example remembred seeing that it is most certaine that heere no lyes are told neyther shall that grace fayle thee which fayled not this holy man if thou wilt be conuerted vnto God as he was conuerted I will remember heere another example no lesse admirable then the former Augustine that famous and excellent Doctor of the Church writeth of himselfe that when as he now purposed in his hart to leaue the world a mighty difficulty represented it selfe vnto him in that change Trifles of trifles sayth he toyes of toyes and vanities of vanities my olde and auntient friends and louers held me backe and pulled and shaked my fleshly vesture and whispered vnto me saying Doost thou dismisse vs and from this moment shall wee neuer any more be with thee and from this moment shall it neuer any more be lawfull for thee to doe this and that And what they suggested in this that I call this and that for this ô my God take not away thy mercy from the soule of thy seruant what vncleannes ô my God and what dishonesty did they suggest And I heard them now not halfe so much as before not so freely nor so stoutly gayne-standing me in my way but as muttering behinde my back and priuily pulling me going on that I might looke back yet they hindered me I lingering to escape rid my selfe from them and to passe whether I was called when as violent custome sayd vnto me Thinkest thou that thou shalt be able to passe without these But this was spoken somwhat coldly On the other side he sayd that Vertue appeared vnto him The chast dignity of Continency appeared sayth he on that side towards which my face was and whether I was afrayd to goe of a cheerefull peaceable and quiet countenance not garishly merry honestly and vertuously enticing mee that I should not doubt but come vnto her stretching out her religious and deuout hands to take and embrace me hauing in them an army and a huge band of good examples There were many young men and maydes there was much youth and men of all ages also matronely widdowes and graue virgins and in them all Continency her selfe was not barren but a fruitfull mother of ioyfull children thou ô Lord being her husband And she derided me with an exhortatory irrision as if she would haue said Canst not thou doe that which these and these can doe Or doe these and these it of themselues or not rather in the Lord their God The Lord their God hath giuen me vnto them Why doost thou stand in thy selfe and not stand Cast thy selfe vpon him feare not he will not withdraw himselfe from thee that thou shouldest fall Cast thy selfe securely vpon him hee will receaue thee and will heale thee In the midst of this combat this holy man sayth that he began wonderfully to weepe I sayth he cast my selfe prostrate vnder a certaine figge tree I know not how and I gaue my teares their fill and floods gushed from mine eyes thine acceptable sacrifice And I sayd vnto thee many things not in these words but to this purpose And how long ô Lord How long ô Lord vvilt thou be angry without end Be not mindfull ô Lord of our olde iniquities For I perceaued that I was held back of them and therefore I cast out miserable and wofull plaints and bewaylings Howe long how long to morrow to morrow Why not now why not at this houre is an ende of mine vncleannes I sayd these things and I did
tast that which being tasted bringeth death Hence it is that those beasts in Ezechiell which are the figures of holy men were full of eyes round about that thereby might be signified howe necessary these spirituall eyes are for the seruants of GOD that they may defend themselues from vices Therefore of this remedy we will in this tractate especially entreate to which we will also adioyne all others which seeme to bring any profit as shall be more plainly seene in the discourse following Of the remedies against Pryde CHAP. IIII. WE handling in thys former part sinnes the remedies of them will take our beginning from those seauen which are called capitall as it were the heads and fountaines of all other For euen as the rootes of trees beeing cut vp the boughes branches which receiue life from the rootes doe foorth-with wither and perish so those seauen generall vniuersall rootes of all other vices beeing hewen in sunder and vtterly eradicated suddenly also the vices will dye which are deriued from them For this cause Cassianus with great diligence writ eyght bookes against these vices in which kinde of studie many other learned and graue men haue imitated him 〈◊〉 they did see that these enemies being ouerthrowne others could not lift vp their heads The reason of this is because all sinnes doe originally flow from selfe-loue because euery one of them is committed through the loue desire of some particuler good to desire which this selfe-loue pricketh vs forwards From this loue those three branches do spring of which S. Iohn speaketh in his Canonicall Epistle which are The lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life Which that I may expresse them by more known names are the loue of carnall delights pleasures and the loue of riches and honours These three loues are deriued from that first For from the loue of pleasure three sins are engendered Luxurie Gluttony Idlenes From the loue of riches Couâ—tousnes ariseth and from the loue of honour Pride The other two Wrath and Enuye serue each one of these peruerse corrupt loues For Wrath proceedeth thence that a man cannot obtaine that he desireth and Enuye thence that any one is preferred before vs or that any one hath obtayned that we desired Seeing therefore that these three are as the vniuersall rootes of all euils from which all these seauen sinnes proceede these seauen beeing destroyed the whole Armie of other vices shall be ouerthrowen Therefore all our studie ought to be to thys end that we fight valiantly against these Gyants if we will tryumph ouer all other enemies who possesse the Land of Promise Among these vices Pryde is the most powerfull which is an inordinate appetite of our owne excellencie The Saints doe call this the Mother and Queene of all other vices Wherefore not without cause amongst many other instructions holy Toby said to his sonne Suffer not pride to raigne in thine hart or in thy mouth for in pride destruction tooke her beginning Therefore when as this pestilent beast doth assault thy hart thou maist defend thy selfe with the weapons following Consider first that horrible punishment with which Lucifer and his Angels are punished because they were proude for in a moment in the twinckling of an eye hee with his Angels was cast from the highest heauen downe to the deepest hell See 〈◊〉 darke and blinde this vice made him who was more cleâ—â—â—n the starres who not onely was an Angell but the Prince of Angels but now is made not onely a deuill but the wickedst and the filthiest of all deuils If it could doe so much in Angels what can it not doe in thee who art dust and ashes For God is not contrary to himselfe neyther is hee an accepter of persons and as he suffered not pryde in Angels so also in men it dooth displease him in whom he looketh for humilitie Hence it is that Saint Augustine saith Humilitie maketh men like vnto holy Angels pride of Angels maketh deuils And that I may speake plainly Pride is the beginning end cause of all sinnes because it is not onely a sinne but that no sinne is or hath been or shall be without it This saith he And Bernard saith Pride casteth downe from heauen to hell Humilitie rayseth from the lowest place to the highest an Angell falleth froÌ„ the loftiest height to the lowest pitte and man ascendeth from out the world to heauen Then with this punishment let vs consider of the inestimable example of the humility of the sonne of God who for vs tooke vpon him the most abiect nature of man and for vs in like manner was obedient to his father euen to the death of the Crosse. Learne therfore ô man to be humble learne ô earth to obey learne ô dust to be despised Learne ô man of thy God for he is meeke and humble in spirit If it seemeth not honorable inough vnto thee to imitate the example of other men imitate the example of the God of Gods who became man not only that he might redeeme vs but also that he might teach vs humility Cast thine eyes also vpon thy selfe for in thy selfe thou shalt finde that may perswade humility Consider what thou wast before thou wast borne what thou art now being borne and what thou shalt be after death Before thou wast borne thou wast filthy and obscene matter not worthy to be named now thou art dung couered ouer with snow and a while after thou shalt be meate for wormes Why then art thou proud ô man seeing that thy natiuity is sinne thy life misery and thine end putrefaction and corruption If the possession of temporall goods doe puffe thee vp stay a while and death will come who maketh the begger equall with the King and the cottage with the crowne For as we are all borne alike and equall as much as pertayneth to the condition of nature so we all dye alike and equall by reason of the common necessity that being excepted that after death they haue the greater count to render who here haue possessed more Wherfore Chrisostome sayth excellently well Looke into the Sepulchers of the dead seeke amongst them for tokens and notices of that magnificence in which they â—â—ned seeke and enquire for their riches seeke for the solaces of this world which they enioyed whilst they liued Tell me where are now their ornaments their precious and costly apparell their delights and pleasures they are all past away all gone all their magnificent and riotous banquets laughters sports and all the mirth of this world is faded and vanished away Come neerer to the Sepulcher of whom so euer thou wilt and thou shalt find no other thing here but dust ashes wormes and putrified bones Here then is an end of all bodies yea although fed and nourished with the greatest delicates and dainties of the world And I would to God that here were an end of
man should more esteeme his riches then himselfe and rather make shipwrack of his soule then of his substance expose his body to the sword that his garment might not be rent Such an one whosoeuer he be seemeth to me not much to differ from Iudas who for a few pence sold iustice sold grace and sold his owne soule To conclude if it be certaine as we assuredly beleeue that thou in the houre of death if thou meanest to be saued art bound of necessity to make restitution what greater madnes can there be then when thou art bound to restore and repay that thou owest to persist and continue in sinne to the houre of death to goe to bed in sinne to rise in sinne to liue and receaue the communion in sinne and to lose all that he loseth who perseuereth in sinne rather then to restore forth-with vvhat perdition can be greater in the vniuersal world He seemeth to haue no iudgment who slenderly accounteth of so great a losse Labour therfore my brother that thou mayst speedily and fully restore that thou owest neyther hereafter offer iniury or loose to any man Beware in like manner that the wages of thine hireling do not sleepe with thee til the morrow Doe not cause him to come often vnto thee and to depart heauy and sad from thee before he receaue his stipend least he lose more time in receauing then in earning it which often-times cōmeth to passe through the iniury of euil pay-maisters If thou beest the executour of any mans wil and testament beware that thou deceauest not the soule of the deceased least it proue another day a burden and clogge to thy soule If thou hast a family and many accounts to cast vp endeuor that they may be cleare and absolute or at least whilst thou lyuest that they may be cleared least when thou dyest strife and contention fall amongst thy family All that thou canst doe for the finishing and perfecting of thine owne will and testament passe it not ouer to the trust of another for if thou shalt be negligent in thine owne busines what thinkest thou others wil be in other mens Reioyce if thou owest not any thing to another but charity for then thou shalt sleepe securely and thou shalt feele no prick of conscience thy life shall be peaceable and thy death in tranquility But that thou mayst more be stirred vp to all these things cast a bridle vpon thine appetites and desires least thou giue the raynes vnto thy will and so out-runne thine estate dispose of thy diet and charges according to thy substance measure thine expences not by thy will but by thine ability least thou be oppressed with the lone of other mens money The burden of lones is drawne vpon vs by our owne affections temperance alone is more worth then many thousand of yeerely reuenues Possesse those blessed and true riches of which Paule speaketh Godlines is great gaine If men would be content with that estate that God hath sent them neyther murmur against the Diuine ordinance they should alwayes liue in peace but when they will ouerpasse these bonds and limits it is necessary that they should lose much of their tranquillity and quiet For those things haue neuer a happy end which are taken in hand against the will of the Lord. Remedies against Luxurie CHAP. VI. LVxury is an ordinate desire of filthy and vnhonest pleasures This sinne is very generall and common and more violent then all the rest For of all the combats and battailes which Christians are to fight the combat of Chastity is most difficult for the wrastling is perpetuall and the victory rare as sayth Bernard Therefore when as this soule and obscene vice doth tempt thy minde and thy flesh beginneth to tickle and prouoke thee thou shalt meete these motions with the cogitations following First and formost consider with thy selfe that this vice doth not onely pollute and contaminate thy soule which the sonne of God hath washed and beautified with his owne blood but also it defileth thy body which is a member of Christ and the temple of the holy Ghost But if it be a great wickednes to pollute the materiall Church of GOD what an hainous offence will it be to prophane this temple which is the liuely habitation of the true God For euery sinne sayth the Apostle that a man dooth is without the body but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his owne body that is by prophaning and coinquinating it with carnall lust and fleshly sinne Consider that this sinne cannot be done without the scandall and preiudice of many persons which concurre to the effecting of it which thing wonderfully afflicteth the conscience at the houre of death For if the Law of the Lord commaundeth that life is to be tendered for life an eye for an eye a tooth for a tooth how can he giue a like recompence to God who hath destroyed so many Christian soules howe shall hee be able to make satisfaction for so many soules which Christ hath purchased vnto him by his precious blood See how many delights and pleasures this sinne hath in the beginning but the end is most bitter the entrance is easie but the issue and egresse most difficult Therefore the Wise-man sayth A whore is as a deepe ditch and a strange woman is as anarrow pit Ingresse to her is easie but egresse difficult For truely there is nothing found in which men are more easily taken then in the sweetnes of this sin which appeareth by the beginnings and entrance into it But when as hands haue strooken friendship and this league is confirmed and lust hath captiuated thy soule who shall be able to deliuer and free it Wherefore not without cause this sinne is sayd to be most like a fishers Wee le or bow-net which hath a large entrance into it but a narrovve getting out and therefore the fishes that once goe in cannot get out Hence it appeareth how great is the multitude of sins which ariseth from this one when as in all that time in which the way is prepared and the deede committed God is a thousand wayes offended by thoughts desires and workes Consider furthermore as a certaine learned Doctor sayth what a multitude of other mischiefes this deceitfull pestilence bringeth with it First it spoyleth thy good name which is the most precious thing that belongs to man neyther is there any sinne that pulleth more haynous infamy vpon thee then luxurie doth After that it weakeneth and enfeebleth the strength of man it taketh away the beauty it hurteth the sound constitution it bringeth infinite diseases which are both filthy and reprochfull it perisheth and blasteth the florish and blossome of thy youth neyther suffereth it to bud and increase it bringeth old age before the time it breaketh the force strength of thy wit it dulleth the subtiltie of thine vnderstanding and maketh a man like vnto a brute beast
that is a young fresh-water Souldier and beginneth to leade a godly life he is more strongly and more importunatly impugned of the enemy who is not troublesome nor noysome vnto them whom he is quietly possessed of but to them who are without his regiment and iurisdiction Therefore the young Souldier of Christ must alwayes stand vpon his court of gard diligently watch so long as he is imployed in this warre being armed from top to toe with Christian compleat armour But if at any time thou shalt feele thy soule wounded beware that thou cast not away thine armour and shield and shake hands with thine enemy yeeld thy selfe vnto him but imitate valiant and braue men of Arms who often-times through shame to be ouercome and through greefe of their wounds are forced not to flye but to fight againe and so taking hart at grasse and calling to thee thy spirits a fresh thou shalt forth-with see that by thine owne misfortune and mischaunce thou shalt cause them to flie from thee whom a little before thou didst flie from and thou shalt prosecute them who prosecuted thee And if peraduenture thou beest wounded the second time which often-times happeneth in warre yet be not discouraged but remember that the same thing happeneth often to them that fight most valiantly not because they are neuer wounded but because they are neuer conquered For he is not sayd to be conquered that is often wounded but he that looseth his armour and his courage If thou beest wounded seeke presently for remedy for a fresh and new wound is sooner cured then anolde vlcer and that which is putrified and one is easilier cured then many If thou beest tempted at any time it is not inough for thee not to haue entertayned the temptation but endeuour by the same temptation to take a greater occasion to embrace Vertue so by this diligence and the Diuine grace by temptation thou shalt not be made worser but much better and all things shall fall out with thee more happily and currantly If thou beest tempted of Luxury and Gluttony cease a while from thine accustomed delicates yea albeit they be lawfull and entertaine fasting and holy and godly exercises If couetousnes assault thee giue larger almes and doe other works of mercy oftner then thou wast wont If vaine-glory assaile thee in all things humble thy selfe more lowly Doing thus perhaps the deuill will not dare further to tempt thee least he should giue thee an occasion to become better and thou shouldest exercise better works when as his casting is that thou shouldest doe worser As much as lies in thee fly idlenes and alwayes meditate vpon some good and profitable thing and beware that thou beest not so ouerwhelmed with the multitude of busines that thine hart be estranged from GOD so that thou canst not meditate on him Of other kinds of sinnes which a good Christian ought to eschew CHAP. XI BEsides the seauen sinnes which are called capitall there are others which depend of them which a Christian ought to eschew with all diligence no lesse then the former Amongst these one of the chiefest is to sweare vainely by God for this sinne is directly against God and therefore in his owne nature it is more greeuous then any other sinne which is committed against thy neighbour albeit it be enormous and very farre out ofsquare And this is done not onely when the name of God is sworne by but when we sweare by the Crosse Masse Sacraments Saints or by our owne life for euery one of these are haynous sinnes also idolatrous for by protesting by them we place them in Gods stead vvhich vnlawfull oaths are much reprehended in the holy Scriptures because of the iniury which is offered to the Diuine maiestie Greatly to blame are they and much haue they to aunswer for who sweare of custome for euery light matter hauing no respect how or wherefore they sweare neyther doe repent themselues of this custome neyther endeuour to roote out this corrupt and depraued vse Neyther are they to be excused if they say that they doe not sweare of set purpose or it was not their mind and intent to sweate vainly for the case being put that they are willing to entertaine this naughty and corrupt custom they are also willing to entertaine that which followeth of it that is this and such lyke euills and therfore they are not free from great and enormous wickednes Wherefore a Christian ought to endeuour himselfe as much as lies in him to banish and root out this euill custome least this incircumspection proue his bane That this may be done the more easily we must diligently obserue and marke that counsaile of Christ and of his most louing Disciple Iames saying Before all things my brethren sweare not neyther by heauen nor by earth nor by any other oath but let your yea be yea and your nay nay least yee fall into condemnation He meaneth that the custome of swearing should not draw them to false swearing and therefore should be iudged and condemned to euerlasting death Neyther ought any man to sweare by the lyfe of his sonnes or of any other in his family And hee must also diligently take heede that as no man sweare after this manner in his family so let him cast out of his house all such oathes by admonishing chasticing all that are vnder his iurisdiction And if there be any man to whom this custome is so turned into a nature that he can hardly expell it let him accustome himselfe that for euery such offence he giue some thing to the poore or exact some other thing of himselfe that by it hee may not onely be put in minde of his repentance but also that it may be an admonition vnto him not to incurre the same fault againe ¶ Of murmuring detraction and rash iudgement ANother sinne which euery one ought to flie and auoyde is murmuring which vice doth no lesse raigne in the world at thys day then that before For there is neither house nor assembly of religious persons nor holy place which is altogether free from murmuring And although this vice is acquainted familiar with all estates of men for the world through her wauering and mutability ministreth matter of teares to the good and an occasion of murmuring to the weake yet some are more inclined to this vice of their own nature then others For euen as mens tastes are diuers for all things tast not alike to all men sweet tastes displease this man and sower tastes please another and some please theyr tastes in sweet things so the wils of some men are so corrupt and repleate with hurtfull and melancholy humors that they haue not any pleasure in any thing that is ioyned with vertue they cannot away to heare theyr neighbour praysed and nothing doth please them but euill speaking and scorning others so that in all their conuersation they seeme dul and benummed but if they
heauen care not what men thinke or suspect by thee in earth Humble satisfaction which would willingly content all answereth Occasion of detraction nor suspition of surmizing is to be gyuen but if thou beest rightly accused or lawfully conuinced confesse but if vniustly or wrongfully deny with an humble protestation because the Apostle admonisheth that we should giue no occasion to the deuill by reason of ill report Which is detested in them who consenting to the Christian fayth satte downe to eate meate sacrificed to Idols Sorrowfulnes sayth What hast thou whereof thou mayst reioyce when as so great euils are spoken of thee Consider how greeuously they looke who are in such bitternes Spirituall ioy aunswereth I know that there are two kinds of sorrowfulnes one which worketh to saluation the other to destruction one which dâ—â—weth to repentance the other which leadeth to desperation Thou art knowne to be one of them but that which worketh death Therefore I am not to be heauy and sorrowfull at these things as thou wouldest perswade me but contrarily I ought to reioyce for those thinges which yet are not vnderstoode because the giuer of euerlasting ioy sayth Blessed are yee when men reuile you and persecute you and say all manner of euill against you for my sake falsely Reioyce and be glad for great is your reward in heauen Drowsines or Idlenes sayth If thou attendest reading and continuall study thine eyes will waxe dim if thou pourest forth teares aboundantly thou wilt be blind if thou giuest thy selfe much to singing of Psalms thou wilt catch the swimming of the head if thou spendest thy selfe with daily labour how shalt thou be enabled for spirituall labour The exercise of vertue aunswereth Why doost thou vse so vaine excuses and proposest vnto thy selfe so friuolous procrastination Knowest thou whether thou shalt liue to morrow or no Yea thou knowest not whether thou shalt continue one houre in this life Is it slipt out of thy mind what our Sauiour sayth in the Gospell Watch therefore because yee know neyther the day nor houre Wherefore shake off this slugishnes of thy body and alwayes remember that neyther the tender nor the effeminate nor the slothfull nor the luke-warme but the violent and feruent doe take hold of the kingdome of heauen Dissolute wandering sayth If thou beleeuest that God is euery where why doost thou keepe one place aboue all other where so many euils are committed and rather goest not vnto others Firme stability aunswereth If it be so as thou affirmest that God is euery where then this place where I am is not to be left which thou willest me to forsake because God is also in it But thou sayst I seeke for a better and I finde a better I aunswer Shalt thou finde a better or such an one as thou knowest that the deuill and his angels and man haue lost Be circumspect therefore what thou doost for the first angell fell from heauen and the first man bâ—â—â—ng expelled out of Paradice came into the miserie of this world Desperation sayth How many and how great be the faults and transgressions which thou hast committed and yet thou hast not bettered thy life neyther hast amended thy conuersation for behold as thou seest custome hath so fettered thee that thou art not able to arise Thou endeuourest to rise but being ouer-loaden with the burthen of sinnes thou fallest downe againe Therefore what wilt thou doe seeing that certaine damnation hangeth ouer thee for thy sinnes past and no amendment commeth for those that be present vnlesse thou beware that thou lose not the pleasures of temporal delights seeing that thou canst not attaine the ioyes of the world to come The assurance of Hope aunswereth If thou speakest of crimes and transgressions behold Dauid guilty of adultery and murther freed and taken by the mercy of the Lord out of the iawes of hell Behold Manasses the wickedst impurest and vildest of all sinners one of the most damnable and detestable men that euer liued by repentance returned from death to life Behold Mary Magdalen polluted and stayned with innumerable blemishes of sinnes penitently running to the fountaine of piety and mercy washing the feete of the Lord with her teares and wiping them with her haires and also kissing them and annoynting them with oyntment she herselfe was washed from her sinnes Behold Peter bound with the chaines of his deniall broke in sunder the knots of infidelity with his bitter teares Behold the theefe that in the moment of one houre passed from the Crosse to Paradice Behold Saule persecuting the Church of God slaying many for the name of Christ and as I may say bathing himselfe in the blood of the Martirs being made an Apostle was changed into a vessell of election Therefore where so many and so great examples goe before let no place be left for desperation seeing that it is written At what time so euer a sinner repenteth himselfe and turneth 〈◊〉 the Lord he shall be saued Couetousnes sayth Thou art altogether without fault in that thou desirest 〈◊〉 possesse those things thou hast and wishest some things thou hast not not because thou greedily desirest to multiply much but because thou fearest to want and that another man keepeth ill thou spendest better The contempt of the world aunswereth These things are not procured of the men of this world without danger and offence because by how much euery man beginneth to possesse more by so much he coueteth to haue more and it commeth to passe that he hath no measure in coueting whilst he posteth to engorge himselfe with the infinite cares of this world For as the Scripture saith A couetous man shall neuer be satisfied with money Gluttony sayth God hath made all cleane things for our feeding he that refuseth to be satisfied with meat what other thing doth he then contradictorily deny a gift giuen him Temperance aunswereth One of these which thou namest is true For least man should pine and dye through hunger God hath created all things for his feeding but least he should exceede measure in eating he hath also commaunded to him abstinence For amongst other euills Sodome especially perished by fulnes of bread the Lord testifying it who speaketh to Ierusalem by his Prophet saying This was the iniquitie of thy sister Sodome fulnesse of bread Wherfore as a sicke man commeth to Phisicke so euery one should come to feede on dainties that is not seeking for pleasure in them but releefe of necessity Vayne foolish mirth sayth To what end doost thou hide the ioy of thine hart within thee Walke merrily abroade and frolicke make thy selfe and thy neighbours laugh make them merry with thy mirth Moderate sadnes answereth From whence hast thou thys myrth Hast thou already ouercome the deuill hast thou already escaped the paynes of hell Doost thou nowe returne out of banishment into thy Country hast thou already receiued security of thine election Or hast thou forgotten
thou lyuest not to feede thy belly but that thou must pray and forth-vvith read or studie or some other good worke is to be doone for which thou art vnfit if thou burdenest thy stomacke beyond measure Wherefore when thou commest to eate or drinke dâ— not respect how much thy mouth delighteth to eate but howe much is sufficient for thy life and to sustaine thy necessity We doe not say that thou shouldest kill thy selfe through fasting but that thou shouldest not pamper thine appetite fâ—rther then the vse of thy life requireth For thy body as the bodies of all other liuing creatures necessarily requireth nourishment that it faint not but thou must beware that through superfluity of nourishment thou surfet not Hence Bernard The body saith he is to be handled seuerely that it rebell not that it waxe not proude yet so that it may be of sufficient strength to serue because it is giuen to serue the spirit let thy flesh be restrained not consumed let it be pressed but not oppressed let it be humbled that it grow not insolent and let it serue and not rule Hetherto of the vertue of Abstinence ¶ Of the keeping of the Sences AFter that we haue chastened and reformed our bodies according to the rule deliuered it is necessary also that wee should reforme the sences of our bodies in which thing the seruants of God ought carefully to watch and to vse especiall heede and warines least theyr eyes which are as wide gates by which all vanities enter into vs which pierce euen to our soules and often are the windowes of our perdition by which death entreth least I say that they wander and stray abroade too licenciously But especially they that attend prayer ought warily to keepe this sence both that chastitie may be preserued and the hart being fixed may attend his deuoier Otherwise the images and shapes of things which enter into vs by this gate doe leaue many painted toyes and fansies behind them which hinder vs when we pray or meditate and they make vs scarcely think of any other thing then of that impression they haue left For this cause deuout religious men haue beene so carefull to moderate theyr sight that not only they haue not seene those things which might harme them but they haue auoyded costly buildings â—rtificiall pictures and precious and curious workes that they â—ight haue their imaginations pure and free at that tiâ—e when â—hey were to deale with God For thys exercise is such and so â—elicate that it is not onely hindered through sinnes but also â—â—rough the representation of those things which of themselues 〈◊〉 not euill The care and watch of the eares is no lesser then that of the 〈◊〉 for by these gates oftentimes those things enter into our soules which doe hinder and disturbe them destroy pollute them We must not haue our eares onely shut to hurtfull matters but also to the flying brutes rumors of this world which nothing concerne vs. For he that bewareth not of these things oâ—â—entimes when hee woulde gather his spirits together more firmely to meditate on God and heauenly things his hart is so troubled with the remembrance of things heard that they doe not suffer him rightly to meditate Of smelling I haue not much to say seeing that to carry about strange and outlandish smels and fumigations or to be delighted with them besides that it is the property of lasciuious sensuall men it is also infamous not onely for men but also for honest and chast women Of the tast also something were to be added but that wee haue already spoken of it in the precedent Section when we handled Abstinence Of the keeping of the tongue THE tongue is a copious theame to discourse of for as the Wiseman sayth Death and life are in the power of the tongue By which words it is manifest that all the good and ill of man consist in the good or ill keeping of this member Saint Iames the Apostle admonisheth vs of thys watch and guarde saying Behold we put bits into the horses mouthes that they should obey vs and we turne about all theyr body Behold also the shippes vvhich though they be so great and are driuen of fierce windes yet are they turned about with a very small rudder whither soeuer the Gouernour listeth Euen so the tongue is a little member and boasteth of great things beholde howe great a thing a little fire kindleth And the tongue is fire yea a world of wickednes so is our tongue sette amoâ—g our members that it defileth the whole body That we may gouerne and rule thys member well we must obserue foure things that is what is to be spoken the manner how it is to be spoken the time when it is to be spoken and the cause why it is to be spoken First therfore we will handle what is to be spoken that is the matter which wee would speake of Wherein that of Paule is to be obserued Let no corrupt comâ—â—nication proceed out of your mouthes but that which is good to 〈◊〉 vse of edifying that it may minister grace to the hearers And 〈◊〉 another place showing more plainly what is corrupt communication he sayth But fornication and all vncleannesse or couetousnesse let it not be once named among you as it becommeth Saints neyther filthines neyther foolish talking neither iesting vvhich are things not comely Euen as therefore Saylers are wont to haue all dangerous places noted and deciphered in theyr Mappes by which theyr shyppes might be endangered and hazarded that they may auoyde them So the seruant of God ought to haue all kinde of corrupt speeches noted and sette downe that he may not be endangered by them Neither oughtest thou to be lesse faythfull and silent in these which are commended vnto thee that thou shouldest conceale them then the Saylers doe who knowing of a dangerous Rock are very wary not to discouer it least they should be ieoparded vpon it In the manner of our speaking wee must be circumspect that we speake not too finely delicately too vnaduisedly too affectedly too curiously and with wordes too exquisite but with grauity leysurely and with gentlenes simple and plaine wordes Here he that speaketh is to be admonished that hee be not head-strong obstinate of theyr nuÌ„ber that would alwaies ouercome for by this oftentimes the peace of conscience is disturbed charitie patience our friends are offended It is the part of a generous and noble minde sometimes to giue place and in disputation to giue the victory to another It is the part of wise and discreet men to follow the counsaile of the VVise-man who sayth In many things be as one that is ignorant be as one that vnderstandeth and yet hold thy tongue If thou be among great men compare not thy selfe vnto them and when an Elder speaketh babble not much The thyrd thing which ought to
a gratefull hart for all the benefits we haue receiued of God and such a tongue which alwaies may be occupied in giuing thanks to God for the same saying with the Prophet I will alwayes giue thankes vnto the Lord his praise shall euer be in my mouth And in another place O let my mouth be filled with thy praise that I may sing of thy glory honour all the day long For seeing that God doth continually giue vs life and preserueth vs in that estate he hath allotted vs and daily yea euery moment showreth vpon vs his benefits by the motion of the heauens and the continuall seruice of all creatures who wil refuse or desist to praise him daily and continually who alwaies preserueth and gouerneth vs and bestoweth a thousand blessings vpon vs Let this be the beginning of all our exercises hence as Saint 〈◊〉 admonisheth vs let all our prayers begin So that in the morning and at noone and at night and in the night or at what time soeuer we giue thanks to God for all his benefits particuler and generall as well of nature as of grace let vs then yeeld him greater thanks for his greater and larger benefits and blessings of which sort these are that for all men he became a man that he shedde for vs all the blood hee had and especially in all these benefits this circumstance is to be cōsidered that he bestowed all these benefits vpon vs not moued by any priuate commoditie to himselfe but of his meere loue and goodnes ¶ Of the foure degrees of obedience THE eyght Vertue which we owe to this heauenly Father is a generall obedience in all those things which hee hath commaunded in which consisteth the sum and complement of all righteousnes This Vertue hath three degrees the first is to obey the diuine commaundements the second the diuine counsailes and the third to obey the inspirations and inward callings of GOD. The obeying of the commaundements of God are absolutely necessary vnto saluation the counsailes do helpe a man to keepe them without which man is oftentimes endangered and ieopardeth himselfe in them for not to swear at all although it be in a true and a iust matter maketh vs that we neuer sweare falsely Patience maketh vs that we lose not the peace of minde and charitie Not to possesse any thing of our owne maketh vs that we doe not desire or couet any thing of anothers To doe well vnto those that doe ill vnto vs is profitable for vs that we doe not ill vnto our selues Therefore the counsailes are as Bulwarkes and Fortresses vnto the commaundements and therefore let him that meaneth to hit his ayme obtaine his purposed scope not be content with the keeping of one but also let him contend as much as he is able according to his degree and condition to obserue the other For euen as hee that would ferry ouer a swift Riuer doth not directly ferry ouer it but somewhat crooketh his course and forceth his boat somwhat vp the streame that he may come the better to his roade so the seruant of God ought not onely to consider what is sufficient for saluation but also he ought to begin keep a course some-what more straight and hard that albeit he cannot attaine the perfection proposed vnto himselfe yet at the least hee may attaine saluation The thyrd degree that we spoke of is to obey the Diuine inspirations and callings For good seruaunts doe not onely obey theyr Maisters in those things which are commaunded vnto them by the voyce of theyr Maisters but also in those thinges which they signifie vnto them by some nod or token But because we may here easily be deceiued supposing that it is a Diuine inspiration which is eyther of the deuill or of man it behoueth vs to obserue diligently that of Saint Iohn Beleeue not euery spirit but proue the spirits whether they are of God or not The Scriptures are to be our onely direction in this neyther must we harken vnto any thing which crosseth the analogie of fayth or Gods reuealed will in his word That sentence of Samuel must haue place in vs Obedience is better then sacrifice To these three degrees a fourth is ioyned which is a perfect conformity of our 〈◊〉 with the will of God or a yeelding of our selues vnto Gods disposing of vs in whatsoeuer so that with a pacified minde and patiently we beare alike both dishonour and honour infamy and good report health and sicknes death and life humbly submitting our selues to all those things which he hath determined and decreed of vs patiently bearing as well scourges as cherishings comforts taking in good part as well the taking away of graces as the enioying of them not respecting that which is giuen but him who giueth and the loue wherewith he giueth for a Father chasticeth and cherrisheth his sonne accordingly as he knoweth it to be conducent to his health and safety We may say of that man who hath attained these foure degrees of obedience that he hath come to that resignation of himselfe which is commended with so great praises of those that sette downe and extoll a spirituall life which deliuereth a man into Gods hands no otherwise to be handled then soft waxe is handled in the hands of an Artificer It is called Resignation because euen as he that resigneth a benefice vtterly depriueth himselfe of it and committeth it wholy to the next incombent that hee may dispose of it according to his minde without contradiction of the former professour so a perfect man rendereth himselfe ouer into the Diuine hands so that hereafter he will not be his owne nor liue to himselfe nor eate nor sleepe nor labour for himselfe but for the only glorie of his Creator conforming himselfe to the Diuine vvill in all things as hee disposeth of him receiuing from his handes all scourges and tribulations which are sent and that with great quiet and tranquility of minde depriuing himselfe of his owne liberty and will that the will of the Lord may be onely doone to whom he acknowledgeth himselfe to be infinitely bound After this maner the Prophet signifyeth himselfe to haue beene resigned when he saith I am as a beast before thee and I am alway by thee For euen as a beast goeth not whether he will nor resteth nor worketh when he pleaseth but in all things obeyeth his Gouernour so ought the seruant of God to do by submitting himselfe perfectly vnto God Thys is that whereof the Prophet Esay speaketh saying The Lord GOD hath opened myne eare and I will not gaine-say him I haue not gone backewards in those things he hath commaunded me albeit they were sharpe and difficult Those mysticall beastes of Ezechiell doe signifie the same thing of which it is written that whether as the spirit ledde them that is the inspiration of the holy Ghost thether they went and returned
is manifest that the supreame goodnes is angry in this world that it may not be angry in the other therefore he now mercifully vseth his rigour least afterwards should vse iust vengeance For as Saint Ierome sayth it is great anger that God is not angry with sinners He therefore that will not here be chastised with sonnes shall be damned in hell with deuils Wherefore worthily Saint Bernard praying vnto God cryed out saying O Lord here burne me here cut me in peeces that thou mayst eternally spare me By this we may easily see how carefull the Creatour of all things is for thee for he doth not with-draw his hand from thee neyther doth he too much giue thee the raine least thou shouldest follow thine owne desires Phisitians for the body doe willingly graunt vnto the sicke of whose health they despaire all things that he desireth but to him whose health they hope to recouer they prescribe a dyet and will him to abstaine from all hurtfull things contrary to his health Fathers also doe deny to giue money to dissolute and prodigall children that they may not squander abroad theyr wealth but at length they make them the heires of all theyr goods That heauenly Phisitian of our soules and father of aâ—â— fathers after a certaine manner of speaking dealeth so with vs. Consider furthermore how many and how great reproches our Redeemer suffered of them he had created how many slaunders and blowes he bare and how patiently he turned his couered face to those infernall iawes that did spet vpon him how mildly he suffered his head to be pricked and rent with thornes how cheerefully hee receaued that most bitter potion for the quenching of his thirst with what great silence he bore theyr scoffings who mocking at him worshipped him lastly with what great feruour he offered himselfe and hasted to death that he might free vs from death Therfore let it not seeme a cruell thing vnto thee if thou miserable vild and abiect man sufferest scourges which he sendeth vnto thee who for thy sinnes would not depart out of this life without scourges who came into it without sinnes For it behooued Christ so to suffer and enter into his glory that he might act that in worke which the Apostle teacheth in words No man shall be crowned except he wrestlâ— lawfully Therefore it is much better to suffer patiently all present euils in this world which are profitable vnto vs then impatiently and vnquietly to suffer them especially seeing that will thou nill thou thou must suffer that which it pleaseth God to send for nothing can resist his power Besides these considerations and remedies I will set downâ— another yet more effectuall that is that a man be well armâ— alwayes to preserue this patience against all afflictions and aduersities which may arise against him on any side For what other thing is to be looked for of the world so peruerse of the flesh so weake of the enuy of deuils and maliciousnes of men Therfore he that is wise ought to be armed against all accidents and euils that may happen vnto him as he that is to take his iourney through his enemies Countrey For by it he shall receaue two great commodities the first because that which is to be borne shall not seeme so great if it be fore-seene for darts fore-seene as sayth Seneca doe lesse hurt Therfore Ecclesiasticus vvell admonisheth Goe to phisicke or euer thou be sicke As he doth who letteth himselfe blood while he is in health The second is that he that followeth our counsaile is sure to offer a sâ—crifice acceptable to God after a certaine manner like vnto that vvhich Abraham offered when he prepared himselfe to â—ffer his sonne Isaack For as often as man doth set downe with himselfe that this euil or that may happen vnto him from God or from men and he as the seruant of God prepareth himselfe and hath determined already to receaue it with all humility and patience and therfore resigneth himselfe into the hands of the Lord and is ready to entertaine any tribulation which way so euer it commeth after that manner as Dauid did the iniury offered and done vnto him of Semei as though God had commaunded him to doe it let him be ascertayned that if he haue his mind thus disposed although that commeth not to passe he expected or supposed yet it shall be as acceptable as if it had happened vnto him Therefore a Christian ought to remember that this is one of the especiall parts of Christian profession which Saint Peter teacheth saying If when yee doe well yee suffer wrong and shall take it patiently then is there thanke with God For heere-vnto verily were yee called Therefore let a Christian that liueth in this vvorld thinke that he is a rocke placed in the midst of the Sea which on euery side is beate and crushed with vvaues and billowes yet neuertheles he persisteth firme neyther is remoued out of his place These things therfore are the more copiously handled of vs because seeing that the profession of a Christian life as Saint Bernard sayth is diuided into â—wo parts vvherof one is to doe good the other to suffer wrong and euery one knowes that the second part is more difficult then the first therfore it were needfull to collect hether many cautions and many remedies because in this part there were greater danger It is further to be noted in this place that in this vertue of Patience according to the Doctors that there are three most excellent degrees and one more perfect then another The first is patiently to suffer afflictions The second is of own accord to desire them for the loue of Christ Iesus The third is to reioyce in the same afflictions Therfore the seruant of God must not be content be to be in the first degree of patience but he must labour to come to the second and when he is come vnto this he must not rest but proceede vntill he hath attayned the third We haue an example of the first degree in holy Iob of the second in the holy Martirs who so desired martirdome of the third in the holy Apostles who reioyced that they were made worthy to suffer iniury for the name of Christ. The same ioy was in Saint Paule as he testifieth of himselfe in a certaine place But let vs glory also sayth he in tribulations And in another place he ioyeth and glorieth in infirmities in distresse in scourges c. that he suffered for the Name of Christ. In another place speaking of his imprisonment and his bonds he desireth the Philippians that they would be pertakers of his ioy which he enioyed in that he was imprisoned and bound with chaines for the loue of Christ. Moreouer he sayth that this grace was giuen at the same time to the faythfull of the Church of Macedonia because in much tryall of affliction their ioy abounded and
and put of from day to day the amendment of their lifes and the embracing of Vertue ibidem The matters handled in this Chapter Diuers refuges and euasions of sinners ibidem Against them that deferre their repentance 266 The state of the question handled in this Chapter 267 The iust iudgement of God 268 Causes from whence the difficulty of conuersion ariseth ibidem The first cause is an euill habit and a naughty custome of a life wickedly and vngraciously led ibidem The second cause is the power of the deuill 269 The third cause by reason God is farre of from a soule polluted with the filth of sinne ibidem The fourth cause is the corruption of the powers of our soule ibidem Whether now or hereafter it is more easie to turne vnto God ibidem The force of euill custome 272 The Allegory of Lazarus being foure dayes dead 273 The losse of tyme ibid. The sinnes which we commit we shall heereafter deplore and lament in vaine 274 The reliques of sinne remayne after the sinne is committed 27â— How absurd a thing it is to reserue repentance for old age ibidem The greatnes of the satisfaction that God requireth of sinners 276 Deferring of repentance is a certaine infidelity ibidem Repentance is not to be deferred in regard of benefits receaued at Gods hand ibidem Repentance is not be deferred in regard of predestination 277. We offer the best part of our life to the world the worst to God ibid. What we owe vnto God in respect of our redemption 278 An excellent exposition of a place in the twelueth of Ecclesiastes ibidem The conclusion of the first obiection 279 The 26. Chapter Against them that deferre theyr repentance to the houre of death 280 The matters handled in this Chapter It is dangerous to dispute of finall repentance ibidem Authorities of certayne Fathers concerning finall repentance 281 To be conuerted what it is ibidem To dye well is an Art which ought to be learned all the life long 285 The authority of Schoole Doctors concerning finall repentance 286 The conclusion of Scotus that repentance made at the poynt of death and in extreamity is sildome true which he proueth by foure reasons or arguments ibidem The first reason of the Shoole-man is the great perturbations which arise out of the greatnes of griefes sicknes and the presence of death ibidem The euill disposition and temperature of the body is an impediment of contemplation 287 The second reason of the Schoole-man is that such repentance seemeth to be brought forth not of will but of compulsion whereas repentance ought to be voluntary ibidem The third reason of the Schoole-man is drawne from the custome of sinning 289 His fourth reason is founded in the quality of the valour of the workes which are commonly done at the houre of death 290 Certayne authorities of the holy Scripture confirming the precedent sentences of the Doctors 291 Aunswers to certayne obiections 294 Many miraculous and wonderfull things reserued to the comming of Christ among which the sauing of the theefe on the Crosse was one ibidem The iudgments of God 295 An obiection of the repentance of the Niniuites with an aunswere to it page 296 The conclusion of the former disputation ibidem The 27. chapter Against them that through the hope of the diuine mercy doe continue perseuere in theyr sinnes page 298. The matters handled in this Chapter The difference betweene the true Prophets and the false 299 Whence the Diuine iustice is knowne 300 All men ought to feare ibidem Whence feare is engendered 301 Of the works of the Diuine iustice whereof mention is made in the holy Scripture ibidem The beginning of the wayes of the Lord. ibid. The fall of deuills ibid. The fall of Adam ibidem The hidden and secrete iudgements of God page 103 Of the workes of the Diuine iustice which are seene in thys world 304 The great infidelity of men 305 What it is to trust in God 312 The conclusion of all those things which haue been spoken in thys chapter ibidem The promises of God belong to the righteous and the threatnings to the vnrighteous ibidem The 28. chapter Against them that excuse themselues saying that the way of Vertue is rough sharpe and difficult page 314 The matters handled in this Chapter Vertue is a friend vnto reason ibidem How the grace giuen vs by Christ doth make the way of Vertue easie pleasant 315 From whence the difficulty of Vertue ariseth 317 An answer to certaine obiections 319 For what end the reliques of sinnes and euill appetites remaine in vs. ibid. Another obiection with the answer 320 Spirituall circumcision 321 The commaundements of God are not impossible 322 How charity maketh the way easie and pleasant which leadeth vnto heauen 323 The cheerefulnes of Saint Laurence in his martirdome page 324 Those things which are vncleane to the world are cleane to the righteous ibidem Of other things which make the way of saluation easie and sweet 325. The way of the wicked is hard and difficult 326 All the precedent matters are proued by examples to be true 328 The great changes and alterations which the hande of the highest worketh 329 Thâ— disciples of Christ were on a suddaine made learned ibidem The conuersion of Saint Cyprian 330 The conuersion of Saint Augustine 331 The 29. Chapter Against them that feare to enter into the way of Vertue for the loue of thys world page 335. The matters handled in this Chapter What euills are in the world ibidem How short the felicity of this world is 336 No felicity of the world is lasting ibidem Of the great miseries that are mingled with worldly felicities 337 Some myseries are common both to the good and bad some proper onely to the wicked 338 Euils of God page 339 Punishments are inflicted vpon the wicked by the Ministers of God 340 The euils that passions and affections bring ibidem Of the multitude of the snares and dangers of thys world ibidem Of the blindnes and darknes of thys world page 342 The blindnes of men 342 Of the multitude of sinnes that are in thys world page 343 How deceaucable the felitie of the world is 345 The conclusion of all thys aforesayd 348 What the world is ibidem The world is a hell 349 That true rest and tranquility is found in God alone 349 Obiectiue beatitude ibidem Onely God can satisfie the hart of man page 350 The nature of the Sea-mans Needle ibidem Saint Gregory deplored the losse of his quiet and sweet solitary life 351. Those things which haue beene spoken are prooued by examples ibid. No man happy in thys world 353 The world is an hypocrite 354 The conclusion of the first Booke 356 In Vertue all perfections are found 357 Vertue is loued in an enemy ibidem THE SECOND BOOKE THE Prologue of the second Booke page 365 Matters handled in the Prologue The deuision of the second booke into two
duties of Charitie Gala 6. The negatiue duties of Charitie Wee must haue the hart of a mother towards our neyghbour How such an hart is to be purchased All things coÌ„mon to vs with our neighbour A similiâ—ude The hart of a sonne towards his parents Nine vertues are required to prepare and furnish such an hart The loue of God 2. Feare and reuerence Psal. 119. Ecclesi 1. Iob. 9. How feare is bred in vs. 3. Trust and confidence A similitude An obiection The answer A similitude Another obiection The answer A similitude The merits of Christ. Dan. 13. The 4 vertue which is the zeale of Gods honour Psal. 69. 5. The purity of the intent A similitude Math. 6. 3 Regum 6 The intent approueth coÌ„mendeth the worke With what intent good is to bee doone A similitude A pure intent is to be craued of GOD. 6. Prayer 7. Thanks-giuing Psalm 34 Psalm 71 8. Obedience A similitude The thyrd degree 1 Iohn 4 1 Kings 15. The fourth degree of obedience A similitude Psalm 73 Esay 58 Ezech 1 9. Patience Prou. 3. Heb. 12. Iohn 18 A similitude 2 Cor. 4. Math. 1â— Ierome Bernard A similitude 2 Tim. 2. A man must be armâ—d against all euils that may beâ—ide him Ecclesi 18. 1 Pet. 2. A similitude Three degrees of patience Rom 5 2 Cor 11 Philip 2 2 Cor 8 What is meete for Rulers and Ouerseers 2 Tim 4 Prou 6 The duty of a subiect Three degrees of obedience Luke 10 Exod 16 1 Kings 8 Acts 5 The duty of a good Matrone The duty of a maister of a family 1 Tim 5 Ier. 13. A similitude The twofold order of vertues The internall vertues are more excellent then the externall Iohn 4. Cato Psal. 45. 1. Tim. 4. Aristotle Galen Ose 6. Prou. 10. Terence A similitude The affection of deuotion how tender and delicate A similitude The difference betweene the outward vertues and the inward Two extreames in esteeming vertues 2 Tim 3 Hebr 10 The externall vertues are to bee ioyned to the internal A similitude Eccles 7 Ecclus 29 A similitude Internall vertues lesse known theÌ„ externall Luke 16 Rom. 2 Bernard in his booke of the precept of dispensation a little after the beginning A two-fold righteousnes Math. 23. â—say 29. Esay 1. Esay 66. Amos 5. Mal. 2. What euils doe arise from this false righteousnes Luke 18. Two kinds of hipocrisie Prou. 14. Prou. 30. Math. 21. Apoc. 3. who is hot cold and luke warme A similitude The world hath alwais been set vpon mischiefe A similitude Ecclus 37 Diuers meanes to obtaine grace Euery one likes his owne way best Euery one prayseth that science wherin he excellâ—th A similitude 1 Cor. 12. A similitude The variâ—ty of grace by nature Variety by grace and why God would haue variety of gifts in his Church 1 Corin 12 A similitude There is a certaine diuersitie in the creatures Gene 37 It is an euill thing to enuie our neighbour A similitude A similitude Rom 14 A similitude Continuall care a generall vertue A similitude Deut. 4. Mich. 6. Cant. 3. Phil. 1. A similitude In the beginning of our conuersioÌ„ we must walke warily and circumspectly Certaine counsailes Seneca Two difficulties in vertue A similitude Vertue is hard and difficult Exod 4. The errour of them which forth-with in the beginning of their conuersion doe seeke for peace Esay 58 Prou 31 The sluggard flyeth froÌ„ vertue by reason of the difficultie Prou 26 Ecclus 4 1 Iohn 4 The seruent desire of some to serue God The sundry manifold tryals and torments of Martyrs By this kinde of death religious coÌ„stant Corona ended her lyfe An horrible kind of mar tyrdome Heb. 12. Luke 24. 2 Kings 11. Heb. 11. Prou. 31. Luke 9.
31. chapter of his Soliloquies In what thing consisteth the perfection of man Epictetus The conscience is the Maister and Teacher of good men but a tormentor and â—orturer of the wicked Esay 14 The first thorne Plato The second thorne 1. Mach 6 The thyrd thorne Seneca in his 3. booke of benefits chap. 17. Certaine other thorns The feare of an euil conscience Iob 15 Prou 18. In his second booke of Confessions All disordered thinges are euil Similitudes Gregory in the 9. booke of his Morals cap. 2. Ambrose of duties Isidor in Syn. In the 2. booke of his Soliloquies Seneca Epist 43. In his book of manners Cicero in his Oration for Milo A peaceable and a quiet conscience is a Paradice A similitude Psal 19 Psal 119. Prou 21 Ambrose in his 2 booke of Duties In the 3 book of his Tusculane Questions In the 2 book of his Tusculane Questions Socrates Bias. Seneca Prou. 15. The testimonie of a good conscieÌ„ce hath feare mingled with it 2 Cor. 1. A similitude A similitude Chrisostom in his 25. homilie of the right way Rom 12. Hope two fold 1 Peter 1 Psalm 119 Effects of true hope 1. Gregory in the 6. booke of his Morrals In his 9. homily vpon Exodus Vpon the 12. Psalme Ierom in an Epistle In his 17. homily vpon Genesis Similies Vpon Saint Mathew 2 Chro. 16. Lamen 3 Esay 30 Ecclus. 2 Prou 3 Psalm 9 Psalm 31 Psalm 32 Psalm 40 Bernard in his 9 Sermon vpon the Psalme Who dwelleth In his 20. Sermon vpon the same Psalm A Catalogue of the effects of hope Cyprian in an Epistle to Don. Iosua 1. Bernard in his 85. Sermon vpon the Cant. Hope maketh men omnipoteÌ„t 4 Kings 20. Esay 10. Wisdom 5. Esay 30. Chapter 31 The hope of the righteous is spirit but of the wicked flesh Psal. 146. Psal. 20. A similitude Math. 7 Ierem 17 To him that trusteth in the Creator all thinges happen succesfully and prosperously but to him the trusteth in the creatures al things fall out vnluckilie Where the world is planted How vnhappy the estate of theÌ„ is who haue not theyr trust in god Onely hope is left vnto man Man cannot liue without a God Exod 32. A similie A similie How necessarie Hope is for man Esay 36 The punishment of fruitlesse vaine hope Ierem 48 The difference of the prouidence of God and of hope or trust Whence this libertie springeth 2 Cor 3 Iohn â— One kinde of liberty true an other false Why the liberty of the soule is the true liberty Sinne a cruell Tyrant Whose seruant a sinner is The flesh is sinne and a nourisher of sinne Fleshly desire or sensuall appetite is the cause of perturbations Basill Rom. 7. A similitude The superiour part the inferior part of the soule The appetite ought to be gouerned and not to gouerne What it is to obey the appetite A carnall louer a seruant 2 King 11. Seneca Why vicious meÌ„ are not auoyded A similitude Ecclus 23. How great the force is of perturbations and affections The seruitude of impure vnchast loue Psal. 107. 2 Kings 13 Luxury is not satisfied with the thing desired Eccle. 19 Aeneid 4. The seruitude of ambition The punishment of an ambitious man The seruitude of couetousnesse A couetous man is the seruant and slaue of his money A Similie A sinner is not bounde with one chaine alone Pub. Mimus 〈…〉 By the grace of God we are deliuered froÌ„ the seruitude of sinne Rom 6. Men throgh grace rule ouer the deuill Esay 14. Iudges 1. The deuil is couetous towards his The causes whence liberty ariseth 1. A similitude Esay 11 Psalm 91 Rom 7. The second cause the sweetnes of spiritual coÌ„solations Iohn 4 in his tenth homily vpon Ezechiell and in the 8. booke of his Morrals cap. 21 The thyrd cause daily vse continuall diligence Psalm 16 Ierome The affections are taught of the Lord do worke good vnto man A Caution Izech 34 The yoke of sinners Augustine in his eight booke of his confessions the 5 chapter Psalm 116 Peace with men Psal. 119. Peace with God Rom. 5. Peace with our selues The two daughters of our appetite Prou. 30. A similie Psal. 107. A similie Luke 15. A simily Psal. 107. The thirst of the wicked Iudith 7. The companion of carnal pleasure The impatience of the appetite Whence the vnquietnes of the mind ariseth Iames. 4 Esay 10 Iob 25 Eccles 6 Esay 57. A similitude Appetites fight one against another Psalm 55. Psalm 119 Esay 48 Prou 16 Psalm 1â— A similie The change of the inward man Esay 43 The preséce of the holy Ghost is knowne discerned by the peace and tranquility of the minde Psal. 46. The first cause of this peace Rom. 14. Esay 32. The second cause The third cause The fourth cause The fift cause Psal. 4. A double deluge Gen. 7. MaÌ„ is more miserable then any lyuing creature Iob 7. A saying of Silenus taken captiue of Mydas Ouid in the 11 book of his Meâ—a A simily Prayer the onely remedy of man 2 Chro. 20. â— say 38. Psalm 142 How sure a remedy our prayer is Deut 4 Math 7 Psalm 34 Esay 58 Iohn 15 Iohn 16 How farre prayer extendeth it selfe What great things the Saints haue doone by prayer Prou 12 Esay 1 Ierem 2 Iob 27 1 Iohn 3 Psalm 66 Our lyfe is a Sea Psal 80. God doth temper and propâ—rtionate tribulations according to the strength and ability of men Tribulation profitable God is present with the righteous in tribulation Psal. 50. Psal. 4. Psal. 55. Psal. 35. Psal. 31. A simily Dan. 3. Wised 10. All vertues helpe the afflicted A simily Mimesis called the figure of imitation or counterfetting of words and iestures Rom. 8. Iob 2. Rom. 5. Rom 12 Hope is an Anchor Hebr 6 Wherein true Christianitie coÌ„sisteth Tob 2. The wicked are vnfit to beare tribulations The force of impatience Miseries are doubled vpon the impatient Mourning doth nothing profit the impatient Exod. 12 One the selfe sâ—me tribulation doth profit the righteous hurt the wicked Augustine in his first booke of Cittie of God cap. 8 Exod 14 Constancy in affliction is not to be sought in Philosophy Esay 45. Prou. 3. God doth not suffer his to be hunger-starned Math. 6. Psal. 34. Psal 37. Deut. 28. The temporall promises of the old Testament after some manner doe also pertayne vnto the righteous of the new Testament A similitude 2 Cor. 8. A similitude Deut. 6. In the keeping of the law al good things are found To him that keepeth the law of the Lord all things succeede and prosper well Luke 10. 1 Tim. 4. Deut. 28. The foresayd curses are proued by examples Those curses pertaine also to christians Amos 9 See Ierome in his Epitaph vpon Fabiol c. 3. Ierome vpoÌ„ the 4. chap. of Osea Psalm 116. Bernard in Epist. The accidents of death August in Enchir. Adylon Eusu Emiss in his 1. Homily to those that leade