why haue you done this And when the Angell of our Lord spake these wordes to all the Children of Israell they lifted vp their voyce and wept Aâ—d the name of that place was called the place of Weepers or of teares and there they immolated hoastes to our Lord. And that it was a great and generall lamentation and a signe of true repentance the 〈◊〉 name giuen to that place beareth perpetuall record For it was called the place of Weepers or of teares What shall I say of the Prophets They euery where teach and proclaime that God desireth not the death of sinners but that they would be conuerted and liue Ezech 18 Hier 3 It is commonly said saith God by Hieremy if a man put away his wife and she departing from him marry another man will he returne to her any more But thou hast committed fornication with many louers Neuerthelesse returne vnto me saith our Lord and I will receiue thee And by Ezechiell Ezech 33 Thus you haue spoken saying Our iniquities and our sinnes are vpon vs and in them wee fade away How then can wee liue Say to them liue I saith our Lord God I will not the death of the Impious but that the impious conuert from his way and liue Conuert conuert yee from your most euill wayes and why will you dye O house of Israell But to omit the wicked none can expresse the more then fatherly or motherly loue which our Lord sheweth to those that feare and hope in him Dauid in the Psalmes saith Psal 102 According to the height of Heauen from Earth hath he strengthned his mercy vpon them that feare him And after As a Father hath compassion of his Children so hath our Lord compassion on them that feare him And againe The mercy of our Lord from euerlasting and vnto euerlasting vpon then that feare him And in another place Tast yee and see that our Lord is sweet Psal 33 Blessed is the man that hopeth in him And againe Psal 72 How good is God to Israell to heÌ„ that are of a right heart That is who can expresse the great goodnesse mercy and sweetnesse of God vnto righteous soules Isay 49 God also faith by Esay Can a Woman for gether Infant that she will not haue pitty on the Sonne of her wombe And if she should forget yet will not I forget thee And â—teremy in his Lamentations Lamen 3 Our Lord is my pâ—rtion said my soule thâ—refore will I exâ—cct him Our Lord is good to them that hope in him to the Soule that secketh hâ—m It is good to waite wâ—h silence for the saluation of God If I should set downe moreouer what the Apostles say in their Epistles of the loue of God towardes the righteous I should neuer make an end Let that stand for all which St. Paul hath writ in the beginning of his last Epistle to the Corinthians 2 Cor. 1 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ the Father of mercyes and God of all comfort who comforteth vs in all our tribulation That wee also may be able to comfort them that are in all distresse Hee saith not God is a comforter but most full of all comfort Nor that hee comforteth vs in some tribulation but in all tribulation Nor that wee may bee able to comfort them that are in some distresse but in all distresse So that hee could not more sett forth the mercy of God to those whome hee loueth and by whome he is beloued But to conclude it shall not bee amisse to set downe the wordes of St. Prosper in which he declareth the mercy of God not onely to the righteous but also to the wicked to make them righteous Lib 2 de voc gentium c. 26 Gratia omnibus iustificationibus principaliter praeeminet c. Grace saith he doth chiefly excell all iustifications by perswading with exhortations by admonishing with examples by terrifying with dangers by incyting with miraclet by giuing vnderstanding by inspiring counsaile by illuminating the heart and induing it â—ith the affections of faith But â—â—t mans will is toâ—red and adioyned thereunto Which therefore is inciteâ—s by the former helpâ—s that it shâ—uld coop rate wâ—th the diuine worke in it selfe and bâ—gin to vse for merite what from heauenly seede it conceiued fâ—r exercise proceeding from selfe inconstancy if it decay and from the assistance of grace if it increase which assistance is giuen vnto all by innumerable wayes either secret or manifest and that it is refused of many proceedeth from their wickednesse But that it is receiued of many is a worke of Gods grace and mans will Thus he Goe too now my soule Cap. 4 if thy maker bee so Sweete and mercifull suffering Sinners with incredible benignitie to conuert them and comforting the righteous that they may increase the more in vertue Oughtest not thou to beare meekely with thy neighbours and to become All thinges to all men 1 Cor. 9 that thou maist gaine all vnto thy Lord God Thanke with thy selfe to what high excellency the Apostle doth exhort theâ— when he saith â—phâ— 5 Be yee therefore followers of God as 〈…〉 deare Children And walke 〈◊〉 Loue as Christ also loued vs and deliuered himselfe fâ—r vs an oblation and hoast to God in an odour of sweetnesse Imitate God the Father who maketh his Sunne to rise vpon good and bad Mat 5 and raineth vpon iust and vniust Imitate God the Son who taking humane Nature spared not his owne life to deliuer vs from the power Of darknesse and eternall damnation Imitate God the holy Ghost who infuseth plentifully his most precious guiftes into vs to make vs being carnall to become spirituall THE SIXT STEPP From the Consideration of the Fire THe Element of Fire is so pure and noble Cap. 1 that God himselfe would be called fire as Moses and St. Paul witnes saying Our Lord is a consuming Fire Deut 4 Heb 12 And when God first appeared vnto Moses hee appeared in a flame of Fire burning a bush and not consuming it Exod 3 Our Lord appeared saith Moses in aflame of Fire out of the midst of a bush And he saw that the bush was on fire and was not burnt And when the same God came to giue the Law vnto the people hee came in the forme of fire For so speaketh Moses Exo. 19 All the Mount Sinai smoaked For because our Lord was descended vpon it in Fire According to the similitude of which mistery when as the new Law was to bee promulged the holy Ghost appeared vnto the Apostles in fiery tongues Act. 2 Those spirits also which are most neare to God in Heauen are called Seraphins that is to say Fiery because they are more inflamed with the Fire of Diuine Loue then other Angells Which being so it is not a thing difficult for vs from the element of Fire and the nature and properties thereof to frame
first storme of rayne winde or flouds it is cast downe and the fall thereof is great Thy house my soule hath diuers powers and faculties as it were Chambers or parlors and if it be built vpon God as vpon a Rock that is if thou dost firmely beleeue in God if all thy trust be in God and thou be grounded in the loue of God that thou mayst say with the Apostle Who shall seperate vs from the charitie of Christ Ephes 3 Rom. 8 Then be assured that neither the spirituall wickednesse which is about thee nor carnall concupiscence which is vnder thee nor thy domesticall enemies which are on the side of thee to wit thy kinsfolkes and acquaintance shall euer by their temptations preuaile against thee Great surely is the force and subtiltie of the spirituall powers but greater is the power and wisdome of the holy Ghost who ruleth in that house which is founded on God The flesh also fighteth eagerly against the spirit and sometime ouercommeth the strongest but the loue of God doth ouercome the loue of the flesh and the feare of God doth vanquish the feare of the world Those also of a mans houshold are his enemies and with their peruerse councells drawe his soule into the company of sinners But that soule which trusteth she hath a Lord a Father a brother and spowes in heauen will easily contemne and in that respect hate her carnall friendes and kinsfolkes and say with the Apostle Luke 14 Rom. 8 I am sure that neither death nor life nor other Creature shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. But that soule is indeede miserable whose house being built vpon the sand cannot continue long And the fall therof will be great because it beleeueth lyes and trusteth to a staffe of Reede Whose God is the belly or money or the smoake of honour all which things passe away and perish very speedily drawe the soule which followeth them into eternal distruction It is also an other property of the earth like a good Nursse Cap. 3 plentifully to bring forth hearbes and fruites for the sustenance of men and beasts This propertie directeth vs to our maker as to our true Nursing Father For not the earth but God in the earth bringeth forth all good things So speaketh the holy ghost by the mouth of Dauid Psal 103 Who bringeth forth grasse for be astes and hearbe for the seruice of men And againe All expect of thee that thou giue them meate in season Thou giuing to them they shall gather it thou opening thy hand all thinges shall be filled with bounâ—ie And our Lord in the Gospel Math. 6 Behold the foules of the ayre that they sowe not neither reape nor gather into barnes and your heauenly Father feedeth them And the Apostle Act. 14 And truely not without testimony hath God left himselfe bestowing benefites from heauen giuing raine and fruitfull seasons filling with foode and ioy our harts Neither is that false which is said in the beginning of Genesis Gen. 1 Let the earth shoote forth green hearbes and such as may seede and fruit trees yeilding fruite after his kinde For although the earth shoote forth hearbs and fruit trees yet it is by the vertue which God gaue vnto it and God by it keepeth and increaseth them Therefore Dauid inuiting all creatures to prayse their maker ioyneth with the rest Psal 140 Fruitfull trees and all Cedars And the three children in Daniel are exhorted with all other thinges to blesse Dan. 3 prayse and magnifie him for euer And if all creatures after their manner praise God with what affection oughtest thou my soule to prayse him for all his benefites which thou dost dayly enioy acknowledging in them his fatherly loue which neuer ceaseth to prouide all things for thee But this is not much in the eyes of thy Lord God For he produceth in thee as in his spirituall field the noble branche of Charitie For Charitie is not of the world but of God 1 Iohn 4 as the most beloued Disciple speaketh in his Epistle From Charitie also as from a heauenly tree spring the white and odoriferous flowers of holy cogitations the greene leaues of profitable wordes for the saluation of Nations and the ripe fruites of good workes by which God is glorified our neighbour edified and merits increased and kept for eternall life But woe to those who after the manner of foolish beastes desire to be filled with the fruites of the earth not thinking of their giuer nor thanking him for them their soules are like the earth which God did cursse that bringeth forth nothing but thorns thistles For what do they think in whose minds God soweth not chaste intentions but of adulteries homicide sacriledge theftes trecheries and the like And what doe they speak but blasphemies periuries reproches heresies detractions contumelies false testimonies and lyes which they haue learned of their father the deuil finally what fruites do they bring forth but those whereof we haue spoken and which the Apostle calleth The workes of the flâ—sh Gal. 6 These indeed are the thornes which first pricke the minde which bringeth them forth with bitter thoughts of feares and cares And then they pricke the fame mindes and bodies of others with vncurable woundes whereby great hurt often times ensueth But leauing this my soule if thou wilt be the Garden of God take heed that thornes and thistles be neuer found in thee but with all diligence cherish the tree of Charitie the Lilly of chastitie and the Spiknard of humilitie Take heede it neuer enter into thy minde to thinke that these braunches of heaueâ—ly vertues come from thy selfe and not from thy Lord God who is the Lord of vertues Neither attribute to thy selfe the keeping increase and ripenesse of the fruite of good workes but as much as thou canst commend them vnto God There remaineth the last Cap. 4 commendation of the earth for that in her bosome are conteyned gold siluer and precious stones but truely the earth doth not by her owne vertue bring forth such precious kindes of thinges but he who by Aggeus saith Mine is the siluer Agg. 2 and mine is the gold O louer of men did it please thy goodnesse not onely to produce stones wood yron brasse lead and such like thinges necessarie for the building of houses shippes and other instruments but also gold siluer and precious stones for beauty and ornament And if thou giuest these thinges to Pilgrims on earth and often also to thy enemies which blaspheme thy name what wilt thou giue to thy friendes who shall prayse thee and raigne with thee in heauen Thou wilt giue them doubtlesse not some little peeces of golde and siluer or some fewe precious stones but that Cittie whereof Iohn the Apostle speaketh in the Apocalips when he saith Apoc. 21 And the building of the Wall thereof was of Iasper
He is the true God 1 Ioh. 5 and life eternall saith St. Iohn and all thinges that liue receaue life from that fountaine which when it shall cease to giue them life They shall fayle Psal 103 and shall returne into their dust as the holy Prophet Dauid saith It is proper vnto liuing creatures to beget their like God also begott a Sonne most like vnto himselfe Ioh. 5 For us the Father hath life in himselfe So he hath giuen to the Sonne also to haue life in himselfe as St. Iohn witnesseth in the Gospell But the Father hath life in himselfe because he is the fountaine of life and the Sonne hath life in himselfe because the Father hath giuen him the same life which he hath wherby the Sonne also is the fountaine of life yet the Fountaine of life of the Fountaine of life as God of God and light of light Who can declare or conceaue what the life of God is and what this Fountaine of life is from whence all thinges that liue in heauen or earth drawe drops of life The life which we in this banishmēt know is no other but The internall beginning of Motion For those things we say liue which mooue themselues after some manner And therefore the water of Riuers is commonly called running or liuing water because it seemeth to moue of it selfe And the water of Ponds standing or dead water For that it is not mooued but by the Windes or some other externall force Thy God O my soule most truely liueth and is the Author and Fountaine of life For often doth he in holy Scripture inculcate this saying Num. 14 Liue I saith our Lord And the Prophets often repeate The Lord liueth the Lord liueth And in Hieremie God complaineth of the people saying Hier. 2 They haue forsaken me the Fountaine of liuing Water and yet he is not moued either by himselfe or by any other I am God saith he and am not changed And againe Hier. 16 Malae 3 Num. 23 God is not as the sonne of Man that he may be changed We sing also very often in the ecclesiasticall hymne O God which dost preserue the strength of things thy selfe being vnmoueable dost successiuely diuide the day and night c. So that if God beget a sonne he begetteth him without mutation and if he see heare speake loue pardon or iudge he doth all without mutation And if he create and preserue or destroy and dissipate and againe renue and change yet he worketh resting and changeth without being changed How then doth he liue if he moue not And how doth he not liue if he be the Fountaine and author of life This knot is easily vntyed For to liue it is absolutely enough that the thing which liueth worke of it selfe and be nor moued by an other But life for the most part in Creatures is the Internall beginning of motion because Creatures are vnperfect haue need of many things to performe the actions of life But God is Infinite perfection and hath neede of nothing without himselfe and therefore he worketh of himselfe and is not moued by any other Creatures neede mutation to ingender and be ingendred because they ingender without themselues and the thing ingendred must be changed from a not being to a being But God begot a sonne within himselfe And within himselfe produceth the holy ghost neither ought the Son or the holy Ghost to be changed from a not being to a being because they receaue that being which was alwaies and they receaue it not in time but from eternitie Creatures need the Motion of Augmentation because they are borne vnperfect but God the Sonne is borne most perfect and God the Holy ghost is breathed and produced most perfect Creatures need the motion of alteration to attaine diuers qualities which they want but God wanteth nothing for his essence is of infinite perfection Creatures neede locall motion because they are not euery where but God is wholy euery where Moreouer Creatures need many things to see heare speake and worke because their life is poore and vnperfect but God needeth nothing without himselfe to see all heare all speake to all and to worke all For he as is said is life it selfe and the Fountaine of life And that we may put an example in ihe action of seeing A man to see needeth a seeing power which is distinct from the soule which properly seeth he needeth an obiect that is a coloured body distant from him he needeth the light of the Sunne or of some other bright body he needeth a Medium that is a perspicuous body he needeth a sensible Species or forme to be caried from the obiect to the eye he needeth a corporall orgā to wit an eye furnished with humors fleshy tunicles he needeth sensitiue spirits and opticke synowes by which those spirits must passe he needeth a proportionable distance And lastly he needeth the Application of the seeing powre or facultie Behold how many thinges men and other liuing Creatures want to performe one action of life But God who truely hath all life in himselfe needeth nothing His infinite essence doth include power forme obiect light and all other things God of himselfe by himselfe and in himselfe seeth all thinges which are haue bin or shall be and euedently knoweth all thinges which may be And before the world was made God sawe all things so that by the creation of things there came nothing but was before knowne vnto him What then shalt thou be my soule when thou shalt partake of that life Is it much that God commandeth thee when he would haue thee spend this corporall animall poore and vnperfect life for himselfe and thy brethren to obtaine life eternall And if he commaund not much when he commandeth this life to be contemned how light and little ought it seeme to thee when he commandeth thee to bestowe thy dead riches vpon the poore to abstayne from lust to renounce the Deuill and his pompes and with true deuotion of hart to sigh after that life which onely is true life But it is time now to Ascend as we may vnto the Fountaine of Wisdome Cap. 8 A Fountaine of Wisdome the word of God on high saith Ecclesiasticus Eccle. 1 And he saith On high because the Fountaine of Wisdome doth plentifully flowe vpon the holy Angels and blessed soules in heauen but vnto vs that inhabite this Desert and Pilgrimage Wisdome her selfe descendeth not but a certaine vapour or shadow thereof Wherefore my soule seeke not after higher thinges then beseemeth thee Prou. 25 Doe not search the Maiestie least thou be oppressed of the glory Admire his Wisdome of whom the Apostle speaketh Rom. 16 To God the onelywise Congratulate those blessed spirits which drinke of the fountaine of Wisdome And although they doe not comprehend God which onely is proper vnto God yet they beholde the face of God without Vtyle or interposition and being irradiated
God Truly therefore writeth Ecclesiasticus That this is a meruaiâ—ous Instrument the worke of the Highest and great doubtles is our Lord that made it There remaineth also the efficacy of the Sunnes light and beate Cap. 3 wherof Dauid speaketh Neither is there that can hyde himselfe from his heate This one bright body being placed in the middest of the World giueth Light to all the Starres to all the Ayer to all the Sea and to all the Earth and with his quickning heate causeth all Plants Corne and Trees throughout the world to budde blossome and beare fruite and vnder the earth it also produceth all kindes of Mettals Therefore St. Iames in the beginning of his Epistle compareth the Sunne to God Iam 1 Euery best guift saith hee and euery perfect guift is from aboue descending from the Father of Lightes with wheme is no transmutation nor shadowing of alteration The Sunne indeede is the Father of corporall Light as God is the Father of spirituall Light Yet in three thinges there is great vnlikenesse betweene God and the Sunne First the Sunne needeth continuall Transmutation to giue light and heate to the whole World but God is wholy euery where and necdeth no transmutation And therefore Saint Iames saith With whome there is no teansmutation Secondly the Sunne for that it alwayes changeth places causeth by turnes day to some and night to others shining to one people and fetting to another But God is neuer changed and yet is present with euery one and therefore St. Iames addeth There is with him no shadowing of alteration Lastly which is the chiefe from the Sunne the Father of corporall Light all things proceed which growe on Earth And those thinges are good Yet not excellent nor perfect but small temporall and transitory and which make not men good because they may be abused as they are by many to their destruction But from God the Father of Spirituall light Euery best guift and euery perfect guist doth descend by which the â—possessors thereof are made better and more perect These guises none can abuse and whosoeuer perseuereth in them vnto the end shall come to that true Happinesse which is defined to be A state of all good thinges perfectly vnited together Seeke therefore my soule What these best guiftes and perfect guifees are which come from aboue and descend from the Father of Light and when thou hast found them endeauour all thou canst to keepe them But thou shalt not neede to seeke farre for the Sunne doth demonstrate them sufficiently vnto thee The Sunne by his light and heate which are the Guiftes of the Father of Corporall light produceth all thinges So also The best guistes and perfect guiftes which are from aboue and descend from God the true Father of Light are the Light of Wisdome Heate of Charity The light of Wisdome which maketh vs truely wise leadeth vs to the Heauenly fountaine of Wisdome teacheth vs to contemne thinges Corporall and esteem thinges Eternall It teacheth vs 1 Tim 6 Not to trust in the vncertainty of riches but in the liuing God It teacheth vs not to make this banishment our Countrey nor to loue this Pilgrimage but to endure it Lastly it teacheth vs to holde this Life in patience which is so full of dangers and temptations and death in desire because Blessed are the dead that dye in our Lord. Apoc. 14 The order of true charity is to loue God without end who is the end of all desires And to loue other thinges so farre foorth as they shall be needfull to obtaine that Happines Truely there is not any among the Children of men who will proceed so absurdly in the cure of his body as to loue a bâ—tter Potion better then his health For he knoweth that the one is the end and the other is but the meanes to obtaine that end How then commeth it to passe that so many who would be accounted wise keepe no measure in heaping together riches in following the pleasures of the flesh in getting degrees of Honour as if in these thinges consisted the end of Mans desire But in louing God and in seeking after eternall Happinesse they are content with so little as if it were the meanes to the end and not the end of all other thinges Truely the reason is because they haue the Wisdome of this World and not the Wisdome which is from aboue descending from the Father of Light And because their loue is not orderly therefore it is not true loue which cannot be but orderly for they are full of Couetousnesse which is not from God but from the World Thou therfore my soule whiles thou art a Pilgrim from thy Countrey and among enemies which oppugne true Wisdome and Charity and call subtiltie Sapience and couetousnesse Frugality Sigh from the bottome of thy heart to the Father of Light that it would please him to cause those hest guifes and perfect guiftes to witt the light of true Wisdome and the heaâ—e of orderly Charity to descend into thy heart that being replenished with them it may ruune without stumbling in the way of Gods Commaundements and come to that Countrey where they drinke of the Fountaine of Wisdome liue by the milke of Charity I come now to the Night season Cap. 4 in which the Heauen by the Moone and starres maketh vs a stepp to ascend vnto God For so speaketh Dauid Isal 8 Because I shall see thy Heauens the worke of thy singers The Moone and the Stars which thou hast founded If we could see Heauen it selfe the Prophet would not haue said declaring in a manner what before he set downe The Moone and the Starres which thou hast founded For then doubtlesse we should haue an excellent Ladder to ascend vnto God We know there were some who defined the Nature of the Heauens by the motion of the Starres to be a Fift essence simple incorruptible and alwayes circularly moouing And wee know there haue bin others also who would haue Heauen to be the Element of Fire not moued circularly and in some partes corruptible But we seeke not after opinions but certaine knowledge or Doctrine of faith that wee may frame thereby a firme Ladder to know God We will therfore from the Moone and starres which we see erect a Ladder with the Prophet as we haue done already from the Sunne the Fountaine of Corporall light The Moone hath two properties which may helpe vs to Ascend vnto God First the neerer it commeth to the Sunne the lighter it is in the higher part next to Heauen the darker in the lower part next to Earth And when it is vnder the Sunne and ioyned therewith then is it wholy light toward Heauen and darke toward Earth Againe when it is opposite against the Sunne it shineth at Full to the inhabitants of the Earth and hath no Light in the higher part towardes Heauen This property of the Moone may teach men how carefull they ought
world from the first Creature to the last I say nothing so perfectly as that hee is able to explicate the Nature Propertyes Accidents and secret virtues thereof Into what errors shall he fall if hee vndertake to search out the thinges which are aboue Heauen Therefore if thou be Wise my soule follow the knowledge of Saluation and Wisdome of Saintes which consisteth in fearing God keeping his Commaundements Delight more in prayer then in DisputatioÌ„ and in edifying Charity then in proud knowledge For that is the way which leadeth vnto life Eternall where we little ones shal he made equall with Angells which alwayes see the face of their Father which is in Heauen Luk â—0 Mat. 18 There is also a third thing wherein Mans soule is not a litle lesse but much lesse then Angells to witt in the power and commaund ouer Bodyes For Mans soule moueth the body by commaundment of the Will but other Bodyes it cannot so moue And it moueth the body by Progressiue motion vpon the Earth but cannot suspend it vpon the Water cleuate it aboue the Ayer or carry it whether it will But Angells onely by Force of Spirit and commaundment of Will eleuate heauy bodyes and carry them whether they lift So an Angell tooke vp Abachue Dan. 14 and in a very short time carried him to Babilon to bring Daniel his â—inner recarried him again to Palistine A man also cannot fight in spirit onely with his enemies but with his handes and weapons but an Angel by power of spirit without hands or weapons can encounteâ— and ouercome a whole army of men So one Angel â—â—ew at once a hundred fourescore and fiue thousand Assyrians 4 Reg. 19 And if Angels can do these thinges what can the Lord and maker of Angels doe He truely made all thinges of nothing and can reduce all thinges to nothing Mans soule moreouer can by the art of paynting with industry and labour make the image of a man so lively that it may seeme to liue and breath But an Angell can without labour of handes or instruments almost in a moment of time assume in such sort a body Elementarie that wise men will iudge it to be the true body of a man because it can walk speake eate drinke be touched handled and washed So Abraham prepared meate for the Angells Gen. 18 and washt their feete For as the Apostle declareth Ieb 13 He receaued Angels to harbour thinking they had bene men Which also happened to his nephew Loth when he receaued two Angels as strangers into his house Gen. 19 The Angell Raphael in like manner remayned with young Tobias many-dayes walking speaking eating and drinking as if he had bene a man indeede yet notwithstanding being after to depart he said I seemed indeede to eate with you and to drinke Tob. 12 but I vse an inu sible meate and drinke and sodainly he vanished from their sight Surely it is admirable and proceedeth from great power so to frame a body on the sodaine as that it may seeme to differ in nothing from the liuing body of a Man and againe at pleasure on the fodaine so to dissolue the same body that nothing therof remayne If then the power of Angels be so great how great is the power of the maker of Angels who gaue them that power Truely as the knowledge of Angells and men being comâ—ared with the knowledge of God is ignorance and as the iustice of Angells and men being compared with the iustice of God is iniustice so the power of Angells and men being compared with the power of God is infirmitie Therefore it is truely said Rom. 16 â—uke 18 1 â—â—m 6 Cap 4. Our God onely wise onely good and onely mighâ—ie Lastly if we consider the place of Angels and of men we shall finde mans soule in that respect also Not a little lesse Heb. 2 but much lessened vnder Aâ—gells I willingly vse that word which the Apostle vâ— sâ—th For God hath appâ—inted a place on earth for the soule of man and in heauen to wit in his Pallace a place for Angels Psal 113 For the heauen of heauen is to our Lord but the earth he hath giuen to the children of men Whereupon our Lord in St. Math 24 Mathew calleth them The Angels of heauen And in St. Luke he saith There shall be ioy in heauen vpon one sinner that deth penance Luke 15 And a little after There shall be ioy before the Angels of God vpon one sinner that doth penance God also hath so tyed the soule to the body that it cannot without it remoue from place to place but Angels are not tyed to any body but haâ—e power giuen them to pâ—sse from heauen to earth and from earth to heauen or whether soeuer they will with very great speede so that Angels being next vnto God in dignitie of Nature doe also in some sort by their celerity immitate his vbiquitie For God is euery where by immensitie of Nature and therefore needeth no change of place Angels by swiftnesse of motion passe so speedily from place to place and so exhibit their presence in cuery place that they seeme after a sort to be euery where But my soule if thou wilt heare the Lord of Angels there is no cause why thou shouldest enuy that Angels haue so high a place and so vnsatigable a motion For not onely thou my soule when thou art loosed from the body shalt be equall vnto Angels but when thou shalt returne vnto thy body which Christ Will corfigure to the body of his glory Phil. 3 with that body shalt thou possesse heauen as thy owne-house it being made spirituall shall without labour or wearinesse be presently there wheresoeuer thou the soule shalt will and command it 1 Cor. 5 Thy Lord doth not deceaue thee who saith in his Gospel Ioh. 14 In my Fathers house there be many Mansions And I goe and prepare you a place And If I go and prepare you a place I come againe and will take you to my selfe that where I am you also may be Father I will that where I am Ioh. 17 they also maâ— be with me and that they may see my glory which thou hast giuen me But thou art not ignorant where Christ is and what body he hath For thou dost confesse euery day and say On the third day he rose againe from the dead he ascended into heauen thou knowest also that his body after the resurrection did sometimes enter in among his Disciples the dores deing shut â—châ—â—o Lâ—k 24 and departed from them not walking but vanishing that is he transferred his body from them so speedily as if it had beene a Spirit and not a body But if thou secke after this glory thou must first Consigure thy body Phil. 3 to the body of the humilitie of Christ And then Christ will configure thy body to the body of his glory For
their vtmost and spare no cost or labour to preserue the same We see beastes to sight and striue euen aboue their strength with those that ouer master them rather then they would loose their liues We see a burning candle when it is almost out rayse vp it selfe two or three times and send forth a great flame that it may seeme to striue as much as it can not to goe out We see droppes of water hanging some-time vpon wood or stone to become round and to holde themselues together as long as they can least they fall and perish We see heauie thinges against nature to ascend and light thinges to descend least Vacuitie should happen whereby they being seuered from the rest of thinges could not be preserued But the loue which God hath giuen to parents toward their young is so admirable that it may seeme vncredible We see the Hen feede her Chickings and fast her selfe and though she be weake and seeble to sight most eagerly against the Kytes Dogges and Foxes And what labours and throwes women willingly endure to bring their children into the world and after vp in the world we all knowe The cause of this is the Councell of Gods Wisdome who to maintaine this propagation as a shadowe of his Eternitie hath enâ—rasted in brute and wilde beastes and in all huâ—ing Creatures that haue sence a most vehement loue towardes their young ones For seeing there are many kindes of Beastes and Fowles which men seeke to destroy either for gaine as Hares Bores Stagges Thrushes Quayles Partriges and almost all kindes of Fishes or least they should doe hurt as Wolues Foxes Serpents and other without number the like Many of those kindes of Creatures should haue perished long since If Gods wisdome had not by this Loue prouided for their preseruation and propagation If then the Naturall loue of all liuing thinges to this short and troublesome life be so great what ought our Loue to be to the Blessed and eternall Life O blindnesse and folly of Man All thinges striue euen aboue their strength to preserue this short life which is but a Shadow of eternitie and Man that hath reason will not striue I say not aboue but according to his strength for the Eternitie of a most happy life All thinges by instinct of Nature feare and eschue temporall Death aboue all Euill And man who is indued with reason and taught by Faith doth neither feare nor eschue Eternall death as he doth Temporall euills Truely therefore said the Preacher Eccle 1 The number of Fooles is infinite And truely also said the Truth in the Gospell Math 7 How narrow is the gate and straite is the way that leadeth to Lâ—fe and few there are that sinde it The Height of Gods Practicall Wisdome is seene in the worke of our Redemption Non satisbar c. Cap. 3 Conf. lib. 9. cap. 6 I was not filled saith St. Augustine with thy admâ—rable sweetnesse to consider the height of thy Councell touching the saluation of Man-kinde And surely it was a most high Councell by the Ignominie of the Crosse to repaire all the damages which the Craft of the Deuill had caused by the sinne of the first man and so to repaire them that the worke repaired became more beautifull then it was before the reparation Foure Euills were caused by the sinne of Adam Iniurie to God by his Pride and Disobedience the punishment of him and of all Mankinde by the losse of Gods grace and of eternall Happinesse The sorrow of the Angells to whom the Iniury done to God and the misery fallen to Man did very much displease The tryumph of the Deuill and of all the wicked Spirits who reioyced to see Man ouercome and cast downe by them All these Euills the Wisdome of God by the mistery of the Crosse tooke away and turned them to greater good so that not without cause the Church singeth O happy fault which had such a Redâ—emer For if a Taylor could by putting in some other costly peece so amend a precious new garment rent and torne that it should appeare more beautifull and precious then it was before it might truely be called a happy renting which gaue occasion to such mending Adam therfore being waxen proude by the crast and enuy of the Deuill sought to be like God and broke his Commandement And so after a sort tooke vnto himselâ—e Gods honour But Christ the second Adam Humble phil 2 himselfe made obedient vnto death And restored vnto God much greater honour then the first Adam by his pride and disobedience had taken away For Adam was a meere man and if hee had obeyed it had bin in a small matter For what great matter had it been for our first Parentes to haue abstained from the Fruite of one forbidden Tree hauing plenty of many more excellent Therefore their sinne was the greater in that their obedience was in a thing easie and of no labour to performe But Christ was God and Man and humbled himselfe to obey God his Father in a thing most hard and laborious to witt in the death of the Crosse which was full of paine and ignominie Wherefore if we consider the eminency of the person and the depth of his Humility and Obedience nothing can be imagined more to Gods honour and glory nor more meritorious then that Humble obedience of Christ For which cause our Lord said most truely in the Gospell Ioh. 17 I haue glorified thee vpon earth For Iesus Christ did glorisie God his Father with vnspeakable glory before the Augells of heauen and before all the Soules of the Prophets and others to whom these things were knowne And if the Angells at Christs birth for the humility of the Crib did sing Glory in the Highest to God Luk 2 With greater ioy did they sing it for the humility of the Câ—â—sse Moreouer Man if he had not sinned had obtained at the most but to be equall with Angells but now by the Redemption which is in Iesus Christ man kinde hath obtained that a Man being exalted aboue Angells sitreth at the right hand of God and is become the Lord both of Angells and of men For so of Christ writeth St. Peter the Apostle in his first Epistle Bâ—ing gone into Heauen 1 Per. 3 Angells and Potestates and powers sâ—bâ—â—cted to him And his fâ—llow Apostle St. Paul to the Philippiaes Pâ—al 2 For the which thing God also hath exalted him and hath giuen him a name which is aboue all names that in the name of Iesus euery Knee bowe of the coelestialls terrestrialls and infernalls Therefore the Sonne hath glorified the Father after an vnspeakeable manner by the humility of his Passion And the Father hath also after an vnspeakable manner glorifiedthe Sonne by exalting him vnto his right hand Which glorification hath in such sort redounded vnto all mankinde that truely they are most vngratefull which acknowledge not so infinite a benifite and giue not
in making houses of clay then enioy an euerlasting kingdome Hadst thou rather which I abhorre to thinke be delighted with the pleasures of beastes then come to the ineffable delightes of Angels Let thy mercy O Lord auert this from the soule of thy seruant Rather peirce my flesh with thy feare â—psal 118 and let the obedience of thy lawe be more sweete to me then hunny or the hunny Combe that crucifying my flesh with the vices concupiscences therof I may aspire to the spirituall and eternall pleasures of thy Paradice Graunt to thy seruant O Lord to follow the steppes of thy Christ who being meeke and humble of hart When he was reuyled 1 Pet. 2 did not reuile when he suffered he threatned not Grannt that I may liue soberly righteously and piously in this world that with some confidence I may expect The blessed hope Tit 2 and aduent of the glory of the great God and our Sauiour Iesus Christ It remaineth that we consider Cap. 4 the iustice which God will vse in punishing sinners in Hell Wherfore if we marke with attention and diligence we shall indeede vnderstand that it is most true which the Apostle teacheth in his Epistle to the Hebrewes It is horrible to fall into the hardes of the liuing God Heb. 10 For to follow that method we obserued in Iustice rewarding the merits of Saintes God the iust iudge will punish all sinnes though neuer so small as for example an idle word for so we read in the Gospell Euery idle word that men small speake they shall render an account for it in the day of iudgement Math 12. Men truely leaue many offences vnpunished either because the offenders resist or flye away or because they knowe not whether they be done or not or perhapps not sufficiently proued by witnesses whether they be done or not or els becausâ— they will not punish them being either corrupted with bribes oppressed with faâ—oâ—â—s or depraued with their owne malice But God is Almighty therefore none can resist his power He is euery where therfore nothing can be hid â—â—d from his sight Whether shall I goe saith Dauid 〈◊〉 thy spirit Psal 138 And whether shall I fire from thy face If I shall ascend into heauen thou art there If I descend into hill thâ—â— are present He is most wise and therfore knoweth euery thing though neuer so secretly hidden in the hart Neither doth he neede witnesses to proue offences since mens consciences shall be against them as a thousand witnesses Lastly no bribes can corrupt his iustice since he wanteth no goods of ours Certaine therefore it is that no sinne whatsoeuer can escape Gods iustice vnlesse it be first purged by repentance For as his mercie in this life is great in pardoning so his iustice after this life will be seuere in punishing Of the time of this life the Prophet Isay speaketh Iay 49 In time acceptable I haue heard thee and in the day of saluation I haue holpen thee Which the Apostle expounding in his last EpiÌ„stle to the Corinthians saith 2 Cor 6 Behold now is the time acceptable beholde now the day of saluation Of the time to come after this life the Prophet Sophontas cryeth out That day a day of wrath Sophon 1 a day of tribulation and distresse a day of calimitie miserie a day of darkeresse and myst a day of Cloâ—de and Whirle-winde a day of the Trumpet and sound Neither shall all sinnes be punished onely but so horribly punished that scarcely can any liuing man imagine it For as no eye hath seene nor eare hath heard nor heart of man conceaued what God hath prepared for those that loue him so no eye hath seene noâ— eaâ—â— hath heard nor hart of man conceaued what God hath prepared for those that hate him The punishments o◠〈◊〉 in hell shall be vety many very 〈◊〉 and very 〈…〉 mixed with no 〈…〉 and watch doth 〈…〉 miserie◠〈◊〉 I say they shall be very many because euery power of the â—â—â—le and euery sence of the body shall be tormented Weigh the wordes of the highest iudges sentence set downe in the Gospell Mâ—â— 2â— Get yâ—◠〈…〉 from me 〈…〉 to 〈…〉 Gâ—t 〈◊〉 away saith he that is depart yee from the company of the blessed being for euer depriued of the sight of God which is the highest essential happinesse last end for which ye were created You cursed that is Hope not hereafter for any benediction for ye are depriued of the life of grace and all hope of saluation the water of wisdome dewe of diuine inspirations shall not hereafter raine vpon you the beames of heauenly light shall not hereafter shine vpon you the grace of repentaÌ„ce the flower of Charitie nor the fruits of good works shall not growe in you Luk. 1 The Orient from oâ— high shall neuer from henceforth visite you Neither shall yee onely loose spirituall and eternall goods But also corporall and temporall yee shall haue no riches no delightes no comfortes but shall be like the Figg-tree Math. 21 which being cursed by me withered presently from the roote all ouer Into Fire That is Into the furnace of burning and vnquenehable fire which shall not consume one member alone but all the members together with borrible punishment Euerlasting That is into a fire which is blowne by the breath of the Almightie and therefore needeth no fewell to make it alwayes to burne that as your fault shall still remaine so your punishment shall for euer indure Therefore the Prophet Isay most truely exclaimeth Which of you can dwell with deuouring fire Isay 33 Which of you shall dwell with euerlasting heates As if he should say there is none that can patiently indure it but with impatience indignation and desperation they are compelled to beare it against their wills And he addeth Cap 66 Their worme doth not dye and fire is not extinguished which words our Lord repeateth often in St. Mar 9 Marke For there shall be the Worme of conscience remembrance of this life wherein they might easily if they would haue escaped those punishments obteyned eternall ioyes And least some might thinke that the damned receaue some comfort by walking or remouing from place to place heare what our Lord himselfe sayth Math 22 Bynde his handes and feete and call him into vtter darkenesse There shall be weeping and gâ—â—shing of teeth Therefore those wretches hauing their handes and feet bound eternally shall alwayes lye in the same place without the light of the Sun Moone or Starres burning in flames of fire weeping lamenting and gnashing their teeth through rage and desperation Neither shall they onely suffer most greeuous paines but also extreame want disgrace ignominie confusion For in a moment they shal loose their Pallaces Fieldes Vineyards Cattle Cloathes Gold Siluer precious stones and be brought to such misery that with the rich glutton they shall desire