said to be eternall and death to be defeated for euer as also the fire which shall torment the damned is named eternall it is also cleare in right reason that Beatitude which is a sufficient good or rather the collection of all good would not be compleat vnlesse it did exclude all euil and miserie especially the miserie of miseries which is death or annihilation For take away the perpetuitie of the life of the Blessed and they would be afflicted with a continuall sorrow for the losse of the beloued felicitie and a most distastefull bitternesse would disturbe the sweetnesse of the peaceable fruition Adde that Beatitude cannot be imperfect on the part of the Obiect which is God all whose workes are perfect and his guiftes without repentance which he neuer reuokes but for sinne which can neuer haue accesse to the Blessed cōfirmed in grace by Glorie And vnchangeably vnited to God whose nature is goodnesse his workes mercy And who can nether will nor can abide iniquitie Againe that word of our Sauiours to his Disciples is an Oracle of infallible truth and a promisse which shall remayne for euer Your ioy saith he shall not be taken from you God's seruants the Elect shall adore him in beholding his face and they shall raigne for euer and euer that is eternally saith S. IOHN in his Reuelations And S. BERNARD explicating that of the Psalmist I will fill my friends with the length of dayes and will shew them my SALVATION what is longer saith he then that which is eternall what continuance more longe then that which hath no end O how good an end is eternall life how good is that end which is infinite How faire is the day which hath no Sunne-setting nor is followed out by night and what is this day but the eternall VERITIE the true ETERNITIE O Societie of the Blessed eternally true and truely eternall those are they onely who may be truly said to be liuing and enioying a life truely long in heauē which knowes no end as they are truely dead and that of a long death who continually die in Hell where they continually liue without tasteing the fruite of life S. BERNARD's meditation shall make way to S. AVCVSTINE's touching the Eternitie of that blessed life O life saith he which God hath prepared for his friēds thou art a life full of happinesse crowned with assurance a quiete life and excellent life a pure life a chaste life a holy life a life that knowes no death a life without sorrow without labour without greife without vexation without corruption without varietie or chāge a life adorned with euerie beautie accomplished with honour a life that is not laboured with enuie nor subiect to anger where Loue raignes in its perfection and from whence feare is banished where the day is eternall and the hearts of all is but one where God is seene face to face and this vision is foode to those that behold him with an ardent affection O how thy shineing brightnes doth delight me and how aggreable are thy felicities to the desires of my heart The more I consider thee the more I loue thee I swoone with desire in contemplating thee yet that desire insteede of afflicting me affords me an extreame content and thy memorie is more sweete vnto mee then the honie-combe O happie life ô Empire of eternall felicitie where death hath no iurisdiction which shall neuer haue end Where the succession of tyme hath no raigne nor vicissitude where the day hath no night where change can get no footing where the victorious Champion accōpaigned with the troopes of Angells his heade being enuironed with a crowne of glorie incessantly sings to God the Song of the heauenly Sion How happie shall my soule be if after her departure out of this mortall pilgrinage she may haue the happines to see thee and to contemplate thy beautie thy walls thy gates thy Pallaces thy places thy noble citizēs and thyne omnipotent King seated in his admirable Throne of Maiestie Thy walls are built of pretious stones of an inestimable value thy Gates are inriched with peerlesse gemmes Thy streetes are paued with purest gold and in them the Diuine prayses doe continually resound Thy houses are made of fouresquare stones beautified with Saphires wrought with vinebranches and grapes of gold None enters within thy confines who are not pure for all that is defiled is repulsed The light which doth enlighten thee is nether from Lampe nor torch nor Sunne Moone nor starrs it is God alone proceeding from God that light which doth spring from light who is thyne eternall and vniuersall light The King of Kings resides continually in the midst of thee waited vpon with a numberlesse number of Courtiers and Officiers more resplendant then the lightning more bright then the flame Will you yet further giue eare to the same Sainte heare then what he saith of that liuely Eternitie that eternall life The wicked saith he shall goe into eternall fires but the iuste into eternall felicities That is the eternall life which is promised vs. And wheras men take no greater content here below then to liue behold how life is promised them and wheras they dread nothing so much as death see how an Eternitie of life is proposed vnto them What dost thou loue ô man To liue Thou shall enioy this great benefit What dost thou feare To dy Thou shalt be exempt from it Yet is it not all to liue long to liue for euer but the toppe of felicitie is to liue happie for euer What can we add to this Oracle of truth deliuered in so good tearmes by that incomparable witt but fruitlesse words in a subiect so fruitfull that the abundance therof doth oppresse him that handles it Meanes wherby to arriue at this happie Eternitie LXV BVt we are rather Athanasia to search out the meanes to attaine to this great happinesse then to enlarge our selues vpon curiosities to know it or loose our selues in the admiration therof since it is written that not all that shall say Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdome of Heauen but those that doe the will of our Lord that is such as shall liue according to his law and shall make force against his holy citie Dost thou desire to enter into true life said our Sauiour to the young man who asked his counsell which way he was to hold keepe the Commandements Of all the wayes which are taught vs by the holy scripture and the writings of Doctors to worke our saluation in feare and trembling I will onely touch two which next vnto God's grace without which we are able to doe nothing I find verie necessarie The Philosopher Epictetes made all his philosophicall Precepts turne vpon these two poles or pinnes SVSTAYNE and ABSTAYNE I am persuaded that all morall Christianitie may turne vpon the same pinnes The one doth teach vs to suffer difficulties labours paines the other the perfect contempt of worldly vanities pleasures and riches If we
we loue him not and complaynes that he is made a solitude in Israel and that he is not beloued and that the wayes of the eternall Sion weepe that none doe frequent their solemnities Let vs therfore goe with confidence to the Throne of his Grace if we desire to haue part in his Glorie Let vs permit him to wash the feete of our affections if we will with S. PETER haue Societie with him This God then who is an essentiall Charitie doth not onely permit vs to loue him but euen commands it and that vnder paine of death death euerlasting The first and greatest of his Commandements is all of the Loue we owe him This loue did once vnite the Diuine and humane nature in the Person of the WORD and did so farre exinanite the eternall Sonne of the eternall Father as to become man to take vpon him the forme of a seruant to appeare in earth and to be conuersant with men A loue which may well rayse man towards God since it could bring God downe to man A loue the band of perfection which vnites the equall and doth equalise such as it doth vnite A Loue which hauing once personally vnited as S. AVGVSTINE saith the light of the Diuinitie to the clay of our mortalitie is able to eleuate our desires euen vnto God and make vs participant of the Diuine nature which is done by Charitie infused into our hearts by the Holy Ghost It is this Diuine Loue which separating our affections not onely from dangerous and superfluous things but euen from things which are not euil yet are subiect to be loued with excesse and with too strong and inordinate a passion shall make vs behold all created things in God and will so gouerne our inclinatiōs that we shall affect no creature but in God for God and according to God wherin consisteth the perfect practise of that Diuine Cōmandement which commands vs to loue God with all our heart with all our soule with all our spirit with all our strength and euen aboue all things For a soule that is come to this degree of perfection that she loues nothing but in God and God in all things in proper speach loues not many things nor is not in the folicitude inseparable from the multiplicitie of louely obiects but she loues but one onely thing which is God the one true necessarie thing and out of whom all is but miserie and affliction of spirit And because in all that which the order of Charitie proposeth vnto her to be loued she loues God alone she loues him equally in all and as couragiously in her enemy as tēderly in her friend because she loues him onely out of all other things and without all other things but nothing at all without him or out of him If it be ESTHER alone that ASSVERVS loueth saith my blessed Father in his Theotime why should he loue her more when she is parfumed and adorned then when she is in her comon attire If it be our Sauiour onely that a soule loueth why should she not as well loue the Mount-Caluarie as Thabor sith he is as truly in the one as the other and why should she not pronounce as cordially in the one as in the other It is Good for vs to be here She can loue our Sauiour in Egipt without louing Egipt why then shall she not loue him in the banquet of SIMON the LEPROVS without louing the banquet And if she loue him amidst the blasphemies which are vomited out against him without louing the blasphemies why shall she not loue him parfumed with MAGDELAINES precious oyntments without louing the parfumes or smells It is a true signe that one loues God onely in all things when one loues him equally in all things since he being alwayes equall to himselfe the inequallitie of loue towards him must needs spring from some thing which is not he Whence the soule that loues God purely and singulary loues him no more with the whole vniuerse to boote then all alone without the vniuerse because all that which is out of God and is not God is as nothing to her O pure soule who loues not euen Paradice it selfe but because God is there loued and is so soueraignely loued in his Paradice as that if he had not a Paradice to bestow yet would he nether be lesse loulie or lesse beloued of this generous soule who knowes not how to loue the Paradice of her God but onely her God of Paradice and who puts no lesse rate vpon the Caluarie where her Sauiour was crucified then the Heauen where he is glorified O how well doth this saintly Bishope speake my Athanasia whose tearmes I durst not paraphrase nor disguise or change his venerable words least I might loose his deuoute sēse expressed in words of so great energie and so full of spirit and vertue that all the flanting tearmes of worldly wisdome seeme to me far lesse persuasiue powrefull How forcibly and sweetly doth he teach vs in this discourse not to looke vpon the two hands of God that of Iustice and vengance and that other of Mercy and reward but to search after his face alone and to feare and loue him for himselfe not for the punishments which he threatens vice nor for the reward which he proposeth to vertue because he is altogether to be honored worshiped and serued for the loue of him selfe yea although he had nether Paradice for reward nor yet Hell for Punishment The blessed and accursed Eternitie are onely to be considered as things accessorie Our prime intention and cheife attention are to be set vpon the Diuine Eternitie or the eternall Diuinitie vnlesse we would loose the title of the children of God and through feare of eternall punishments or desire of eternall rewards beesteemed slaues and hirelings Let 's loue God Athanasia and let him dispose of vs as he pleaseth Let vs be in his hands as clay in the hand of the Potter Let him make of vs vessells of honour or ignominie Be it nobly or ignobly so we be his it sufficeth Le ts turne our eyes from rewards or punishments and let vs fixe them vpon our Lord. Let vs behold his amiable face Let vs set our view vpon his hands but as a faithfull hand-maide vpon those of her Mistrisse Let vs receaue indifferently that which comes from the right hād of prosperitie and the left of aduersitie Although he should euen kill vs le ts hope in him And let vs hope without hope yea euen against all apparence that nothing shall separate vs from his Charitie Let vs cast all our thoughtes vpon him And in steed of staying our thoughtes vpon the created and as it were the accidentall Eternitie of Heauen or Hell let vs onely be fastened vpon the essentiall Eternitie which is God himselfe who hath in his hand the extreamities of the earth And who keepes the keyes of eternall life and death Let vs not so dwell vpon the thought of Heauen or
the fire which proceedes from thyne irritated face Who continues the furnace where they are plunged in its wounted heate by the torrent of burning brimstone which flowes from the face of thy iust indignation O God of reuenge let this thought make so liuely an impression in our â—magination that we may be therby roused out of the lethargie of pleasures concupiscence and wordly ambition which keepe vs asleepe Let the fire which walkes before thee as executioner of thy terrible Iustice and which doth consume thyne enemyes to witt the reprobate neuer depart from our memorie may it be vnto vs a torch and pillar of light in the darknesse of the world and our errours a Lampe to our feete and a light to our wayes wherby we may discouer the gulfe which will swallow vs vp vnlesse we prohibite the feete of our affections to follow wicked wayes and command them to walke in the wayes of thy law Thou ô Lord who didst deliuer the three children out of the Babilonian furnace a figure of that wherin the reprobate burne for euer preserue vs from those abominable flames where thou art continually blasphemed and exempting vs from the sharpe and burning ones of thy wroth place vs in the light and bright ones of thy loue where like Pyralides and sacred Salemanders we shall liue happie without paine or consummation singing honour praise and benediction vnto thee for the Canticle of our deliuerance Of interiour paines XXVIII LEt vs now come Athanasia to the consideration of interiour paines And let vs iudge of the torments of the soule as well by the aduantages which it hath ouer the bodie as by the large share it hath in the malice of sinne which is consummated in the will If a Stoicall philosopher had light enough to discerne that euery disordered mynd is its owne TormeÌ„ter what a torture shall the reprobate find in their owne hearts in this accursed place of disorder which is replenished with the horrour of an eternall confusion There their vnderstanding shall be darkned with cloudes because they shall be ouertaken with a night of obscuritie and be couered with the thicke shades of death I will omitt the subtile schowle questions whether they shall be intangled in errours and ignorances wherof those accursed inhabitaÌ„ts of that black prison seeme to complaine in the booke of wisdome when they say that the Sunne of vnderstanding doth not enlighten them Vpon this subiect I will onely stike to that vndoubled truth which teacheth vs that they are fallen for euer into a reprobate sense which causeth their will still following that which the vnderstanding proposeth vnto it being bent to vice like a crooked bowe as the Psalmist tearmes it to hate God with an implacable and extreame hatred But if some subtile disputant goe about to teach vs that since the will cannot hate Good which is its proper obiect it is impossible that it should coÌ„ceaue a true hatred against God who is the soueraigne good we will answere him with the Angelicall S. THOMAS that the damned doe not hate God in himselfe because they know him not such as he is as doe the Blessed who by reason of that knowledge cannot leaue to loue him but onely in his workes for the vnderstanding of the damned conceauing God as Authour of the torments they endure causeth their will to be incensed against him with a mortall and raging hatred And wheras nor God nor the payne which they suffer can cease to bee their courrage ceaseth not and their will is continually tortured with this vnsufferable auersion Their memorie also shall haue its peculiar tormeÌ„t for if the blessed in Heauen reioyce in the labours reproaches which they endured for the loue of God and that through the fire and water of tribulations they are entred into rest the memorie of pleasures past shall be an extreame torment to the reprobate when they call to mynd that for those transitorie moments they are fallen into pinching and endlesse paines They shall roare out with ESAV to haue sold their heauenly inheritance for a mease of potage For comparing in their mynd pleasures past with those that are eternall and apprehending the approach of torments whose cruell panges they feele will not this memorie thinke you draw vpon them an insupportable affliction With what Phantomes and monsterous imaginations shall their fantisie be tortured Frame a iudgement of it by that which happens to such as in this life finding themselues guiltie of greeuious crimes feare to fall into temporall Iustice They may indeede sometymes be in a secure place but neuer in securitie They may be hid from the eyes of men and be placed out of their reach but neuer shall they be able to hide themselues from themselues or escape the assault of their owne conscience While they wake they are vexed with feares and suspicions their sleepe is interrupted with wicked dreames dreade doth still haunt them at each ones approach they quake with feare and the Furies hauing seased vpoÌ„ them grant them nether Peace nor Truce their dissipated thoughts put their hearts vpon the Racke Now if the apprehension of humane Iustice which hath power onely ouer the bodie giue so daunting Alarumes to the imagination what will the sense of the dartes of the Diuine Iustice doe which are so many vessells of death and burning arrowes shot at the damned soule But who can expresse the strange Chaos and horrible confusion which shall inhabite the inferiour appetite of the lost crue For if all the disorder of mans life spring from his passions which as blustering blastes are shut vp in the two caues Concupiscible and irascible what disorder iudge you must those wretched soules needs feele in that part what contradictions in themselues what conuulsions what rage what furie Alas that noble passion LOVE Queene of all the rest the Sunne and salt of life that passion which might haue made them happie for euer if they had turned it towards God that soueraignely amiable obiect being as it were razed out of them the perpetuall auersion they haue to loue shall afflict them as the panges of a woman in childbirth who cannot yet be deliuered S. CATHERINE OF SIENNA being vpon a day present while a possessed person was exorcised the Diuel being commanded to declare his name he answered with a hideous how leing I am the accursed DEPRIVED-OF-LOVE At which the Sainte was so moued that she thought she should haue fallen downe in a Traunce Touching the passion of hatred it shall be outragious in the daÌ„ned whence shall proceede their continuall blasphemies against God and the perpetuall maledictions and imprecations which they shall make against the creatures And if they haue any Desires they shall be execrable ones to see all the world partakers of their paynes not that they are at all solaced therby but onely to giue way to the incredible malice of which they are full Their auersion from all good shall be as much tormenting as in
tyme to come if their be any tyme to come in the immoueable and euer-present state of Eternitie and if they consider the new discoueries of gusts and contentments which they shall continually make in the Abisse of this infinite Beautie and Goodnes of God haue they not a large feild of ioyfullnes and thankesgiueing I will omit the Sciences with which she is furnished by him who is called the God of Sciences and who teacheth men science and especially that Queene of Sciences DIVINITIE which consisteth in the Contemplation of God and which is the true knowledge of Saintes For I pray you what doe not they saith S. GREGORIE know who see him that knowes all The aduantages of the vnderstanding XLVI OVr manner of knowing and vnderstanding during this mortall life stands in need of the meditation of senses whence this Philosophicall Axiome nothing enters into the vnderstanding which past not first through the senses And verily that which comes to the knowledge of sense is but superficiall For example how doth our sight know but by a species or representation which the obiect of this sense sends out to our eye which the Maisters tearme species sensibilis and is the cause that we see and know by sight What soeuer enters into the knowledge of our vnderstanding by this gate is admitted in no other sort In like manner it is of other senses touching sensible and corporall things There are others more spirituall as the Notiōs or Principles of Artes and Sciences which our vnderstanding conceiues by speculation But how doth it conceaue them but by a subtile delicate and spirituall Image which is called Species intelligibilis And then by how many windings doth this species passe how many changes and alterations doth it endure by the Common sense the phantasie the vnderstanding styled actiue and then by the passiue before it put on the proper shape to become intellectuall Loe then how our naturall knowledge is formed by species and Images Yea euen the knowledge of Faith though supernaturall enters not into our soule but vnder some kind of composition some simple vniuersall and abstracte cloud which is Faith Hence it is that the Apostle speaking of that kind of knowledge by Faith compares it to an obscure sight and as it were to that of a glasse And who knowes not that we see but meerely in a glasse by meanes of the species which are formed in it a species which formes another in our eyes So our vnderstāding which is the ey of our soule doth not assēt to the truthes of Faith reuealed by God but by hearing them by the voice of the Church and her Pastures For Faith is by hearing or by reading them in the Creede and Canonicall bookes But it fares not so Athanasia with the knowledge of the vnderstanding in the blessed Eternitie For there it shall see God without species without representation The Deitie vniting ioyning and applying it selfe in such sort vnto it that that inward presence shall be in lieu of species O deare God! how neerely doth this vnion approach vnto vnitie and with what wonders is this application filled The verie proper essence of the Diuine Truth being receaued into the vnderstanding without all Image or species And then the peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding shall conserue and possesse the heartes and vnderstandings that is to say the wills and vnderstandings of those happie soules O who is able to expresse the incomparable happines of those who without vayle without glasse without obscuritie shall see face to face being enlightened and freed from all dimnesse and confusion that glorious face which the Psalmist with such instance pursueth O what a glorie shall it be to behold without being oppresst with the greatnes of so high a Maiestie those adorable ineffable incomprehensible misteries of the most holy Trinitie what a gracious fauour shall it be openly to discouer the eternall generation of the WORD issuing out of the Fathers bosome a generation of which the Prophete pronounceth with admiration who is able to relate it what a communication shall it be to see the Diuine communications yea the communication of communications which is that of the eternally reciprocall loue and reciprocally infinite of the Father to the Sonne and the Sonne to the Father whence is produced as from one same Principle the Holy Ghost Because the Father and the Sonne hauing but one will which doth loue and one goodnes which is loued the fountaine of this production can be but one O misterie of misteries which it is better to admire then to deciphere and better to speake nothing of it then too litle I had rather in this place which is not alloted to thy explication imitate the Seraphins who doe vayle their eyes and feete and fold their winges and content my selfe in protesting my beleife and alleagance in these words of the wellbeloued disciple of IESVS CHRIST There are three who giue testimonie in heauen the Father the Word and the holy Ghost and those three are one I adore thee ô great God in the Trinitie of thy persons and in the vnitie of thy essence and I doe sinke and become nothing before thyne infinite greatnesse What ioy Athanasia hath this beatified vnderstanding to discouer this great misterie hidden frō the worlds creation to witt the Hypostaticall vnion of the eternall Word with the flesh which we call Incarnation What a number of secretes are conteyned in this great secrete what a number of wheeles are fastened in this one wheele that is what misteries doe depend of this misterie and what a fire amidst this wheele fire which our Sauiour brought into the world to the end it should burne all the hearts of the faithfull with his loue what delight shall it be to behold this Abisse of beauties and perfections which are in God by way of excellencie and infinitly aboue all that we are able to imagine in the Attributes which we frame of him In this heauenly vision as in the liuely fountaine of all light the shades of errours doubtes opinions and ignorances shall vanish which doe inuiron and incompasse vs in the almost palpable darknes of the Egipt of this life Faith it selfe which reuealed vnto vs so many meruelles of God and of his glorious Citie shall disappeare in this happie Abode where we shall see according as we shall haue heard and beleeued Nether shall Hope be any more because we shall enoye that which by Hope we expected Charitie alone shall neuer faile neuer shall any thing cause her holy flame to die out contrariwise in glorie she shall be accomplished and come to the hight of her perfection What a delightfull entertaynement shall it be for the vnderstanding to consider the windings of that wonderfull clocke of the Diuine Prouidence as well in the gouernement of the world in generall as of all the soules in particular and what thankesguings shall it render to the fatherly care of the Diuine Goodnes whilst it shall admire
God himselfe so shall the beatified will be inseparably ioyned to the Essence of the Diuine Goodnes and shall be eternally fedd and sustayned with God's owne substance in some sort as a tender child who hangs at his mothers breaste is nourished with the substance of the mothers milke And thus shall be accomplished that of the Prophete I will leade her into a place a part and will speake vnto her heart and I will giue her the milke of my dugges Reioyce Hierusalem with alacritie that thou maist be filled with the milke of consolation and that thou maist sucke and take delight in the full aboundance of his glorie thou shalt be carried to the pappes and thou shalt be dandled and lulled vpon the knee O Church Militant in earth poore bleare-dyed LIA with weeping in this vally of teares not discouering the Sunne which shines in the Triumphant be comforted in that thou art not forsaken or abandoned of thy IACOB no for he is with thee to the worlds end Thou enioyest his imbracements which makes thee fruitefull in the feaste of his grace to wit the most holy Eucharist for in this banquet thou art fed with the substance of his flesh and blood applyed to the substance of his children to th end they may learne by this wonderfull misterie that in the perpetuall feaste of Glorie he will in like manner applie vnto the Essence of their soules his Diuine Essence and that there they shall taste and see how sweet he is True it is that here below that Diuine humanitie is vayled with Sacramentall species but aboue in the banquet of the Lambs marriage all shall be discouered Enigma's shall cease and the vnderstanding and will shall see and taste without image and species the beautie of the Diuine Goodnes the goodnes of the faire Diuinitie Then as S. AVGVSTINE saith the prize and crowne of vertue shall be God himselfe who gaue the vertue Who shall be seene aboue of the Blessed without end loued without distaste praysed without intermission So that this recompence is the greatest that can be since it is nether Heauen nor Earth nor any other creature but the very Creatour and Lord of all Who though most-one and most simple yet doth he comprehend in himselfe in an infinite eminencie all the perfections of all things Whēce it comes that the Blessed shall in him alone behold and enioy all things according to each ones measure of Glorie And as creatures are in some sort here below the mirrour wherin is seene the beautie of the Creatour so aboue God shall be the Mirrour wherin the creatures shall be seene much more perfectly then in them selues But in fine Athanasia the toppe of the felicitie of the beatified will shall be placed in her perfect loue the accomplishmēt of her true end and in that inuariable and immutable coniunction with her rauishing Obiect the Soueraigne Good which will make her wholy Diuine wholy transformed into the Will of God and to speake with the Contemplatiues wholy deified The felicitie of the inferiour portion of the soule LII LEt vs now descend Athanasia to the lowest degree of the soule and le ts giue a light touch of her Beatitude Who is able to comprehend what goodly and rauishing Idea's the three faculties of the soule shall make resulte in the imagination and how withall this light and gliding Mercurie shall be stayed in God whose presence shall arrest all the motions of this stirring vnquiete and flitting facultie And if we make a step lower into the appetitiue part where the Concupiscible and Irascible passions are lodged motions which doe stirre vp such tormoyles tempests and disorders in our inward house in this life who would be able to expresse the heauenly order and goodly gouernmēt that Reason which then shall be their absolute Mistrisse and Gouernant shall establish amongst them And what a sure and happie Peace shall raigne amongst those people who whileome were so subiect to rebellion while they sat in the darknes of this life and in the region of the shadowe of death Then there will be no Loue but of God in God and for God no Hatred but of that which shall be contrarie to this soueraigne Loue. No more desire but that which doth accompainie the fruition of the Diuine obiect which is continually to enioy and eternally to behold that glorious face which the Angells continually desire to behold albeit they continually behold it There shall be no more auersion or flight but from that which shall be contrarie to that sacred desire or rather there will be no more auersion at all because this passion presupposing euil it shall haue no Obiect in this place of felicitie where infelicitie is not permitted entrance Ioy shall be perpetuall and alwayes in our Lord since this sacred Residence is called the ioy of our Lord nor cā the scourge of sorrow approach his Tabernacles of confidence and ioy far other then those which S. PETER wished vpon the Mont-Thabor Anger is a monster banished from this Pallace of Loue. Euen Hope it selfe shall vanish in the possession of that which with patience was expected Despaire throwen headlong into Hell for euer shall not recouer it selfe from that fall to inhabite this place of delight Chaste Feare full of respect and wholy canded in Loue shall remayne in Beatitude for euer and euer And with what courages shall not those valiant Champions be enriched who are there adorned with so many crownes hauing alreadie past their cōbats and lawfully fought But to speake in a more noble and high strayne of those motions which we tearme passions here below because we suffer by their mutinie and reuoults we should rather say that they shall be happily changed into reasonable affections and that humane reason being vnited to the prime and soueraigne that is the Diuine Reason shall make vse of all those faculties for the seruice and glorie of the Creatour applying all to his honour and praise and making them in a glorious manner waite vpon CHARITIE whose proper Empire is to rule soueraignely ouer reasonable affections and to bestow vpon them an honorable imployment So shall the soule as the Psalmist sings and all her interiour faculties blisse God Of the dowries of the beatified soule LIII I Haue espoused thee in Faith I haue espoused thee for euer said God to a faithfull soule by one of his Prophetes Whence you see Athanasia that herebelow the betrothing is as it were passed betweene God and the soule when she adheares to him by a liuely Faith that is quickned with loue and Charitie but that the consummation of the marriage which is followed with an indissoluble knot is performed onely in the Blessed Eternitie These two sortes of espousalls are figured by the eare-letters and bracelets with which ABRAHAM presented REBECCA by the hands of ELIEZER for the pledges of their marriage For eare-rings are symboles of Faith which doth insinuate it selfe by the eare where the word of God entereth
in the eternall God To whom keeping an inuariable fidelitie in the various change of things she pronounceth couragiously with the Apostle whether we liue or die we are our Lord's I will blesse him at all tymes his praise shall be continually in my mouth Whether he draw vs vp to Heauē or he depresse vs downe into the Abisses below whether he doe mortifie or quicken vs his loue shall be so strong vnto me loue which is more strong then death or Hell that nothing shall euer be able to separate me from his charitie Yea she will rather be vnmyndfull of her selfe then forget this deare Hierusalem of that Eternitie wherin she hath cast the Ankre of all her hopes and of her saluation Exercise your selfe therfore frequently and faithfully in this Practise of Aspirations and Iaculatorie Prayers which are so familiar to all those that professe true pietie and you will find by experience that as by meanes therof you come to see God in all things so shall you easely discouer therby in euery thing the Blessed or accursed Eternitie since Fortune and misfortune are the two basons or rather the two Poles of this life and the two Caskes or tunns of Prouidence according to that auncient Philosophers conceipt or at least to contemplate therin the essentiall Eternitie which is God the Center wherin all our desires and asperations doe end The moments wher vpon Eternitie doth depend LXXVII O God Athanasia what am I about to say this Eternitie which shall neuer haue end is not yet in respect of vs without begining and it is that which the Diuines call Euiternitie for God alone being his owne Eternitie is without begining or end But all other creatures who were made in TYME had a begining yet true it is that both Angells and men shall be eternall marrie in the tyme to come for they had a begining and were not from all Eternitie Now as we haue had a begining and shall haue no end whether our wicked life doe precipitate vs into eternall punishments or our good endeauours assisted by God's grace make vs a way to eternall life So our passage to the blessed or accursed Eternitie depends of a moment as of its principle O Athanasia how attētiue ought we to be to vnderstand that dreadfull moment whervpon depends our Eternitie If you aske me which it is I will discouer vnto you in the next stroke that it comprehends all the moments of this mortall life But as in a plentious heruist there are alwayes some eares of come more notable then the rest and amongst the starrs those which are neerest the two Poles are the most remarkable so amongst the moments of which our mortall life are composed I would wish that we should haue a principall care of the two of which I am about to speake The first is the precious moment in which the Diuine grace doth touch our hearts called by the Scripture the tyme of our visitation a moment of such importance that being rightly receaued it is the blosome of our blessed Eternitie but being ill managed it is the begining of our accursed Eternitie Woe be to thee said our Sauiour weeping ô Hierusalem because thou hast not decerned the tyme of thy visitation O God Athanasia how we shall be astonished when before the Tribunal of the iust Iudge where we must all appeare we shall heare our selues accused of so many negligences for that we haue ether despised the Diuine inspirations or that we haue abused so many heauēly graces which could haue giuen vs life if we had bene deade by sinne or life more abundantly if we were alreadie in grace according as it is writtē How much was that slothfull louer of the Canticles greeued when she perceaued that her Spouse was past by who had stood at her Chāber doore quaking with cold and beseeching entrie by so many louing inuitatiōs and aduantagous promisses She riseth but to late she runs full of desolation into diuers places but fines him not till after a thousand and a thousand labours affrontes reproches But what a heart breake shall it be to the reprobate soule when after her condemnation she shall clearly see how many occasions of working her saluation she had neglected and how many meanes she had to free her selfe from the torments to which she shall see her selfe adiudged for euer We sēnselesse say the damned speaking of the Elect esteemed their life who wrought their owne saluation madnes themselues dasterous and dishonorable but now we see their lot is in the inheritance of Saintes On the other side what a consolation shall it be to thee Blessed when they shall consider that their well imployed moments of affliction in earth had wrought in them an eternall waight of Glorie Let vs therfore be carefull of our selues Athanasia Let vs marke what our Sauiour speakes in our hearts and doubtlesse we shall vnderstand words of Peace and reconcilement Blessed is the man that heareth him and watcheth at his doores dayly which we doe when we are earefull to gather vp his inspiratiōs as the dropes of a heauenly dew which begets precious Pearles in our hearts and the holy vnions of our soule with God Let 's still be on foote and as it were stand Sentinell vpon our wayes let vs thinke in what sort we walke let vs turne our feete into the Pathes of the Diuine Lawe The SECOND MOMENT is that which makes a separation betwixt our soule and our body that is the instant of our departure out of this life a moment which is our last and is to be iudge of all those that went before For as the Tree remaynes for euer where it falls so shall we continue for euer in the state in which we are found in the instant of our death And such as God shall find vs then such will he iudge vs. For if all this life be but a waying to Eternitie death is to be tearmed the doore of Eternitie yet a double doore passing the good to felicitie the wicked to eternall miseries And if PHILIPPE MACEDO to conteyne himselfe within the bounds of temperance and modestie in his Kinglike greatnes made a Page aduertise him euery morning that he was a Man and consequētly mortall least he might haue framed some immortall cōceipt of himselfe How much more ought a Christian continually to call to mynd that double Eternitie which attends him after death The present moment LXXVIII BVt besides these two moments which I haue proposed vnto you Athanasia I doe so much desire that you would attend and applie your selfe to the consideration of Eternitie that I would wish from my heart that all the moments of your life were imployed in that exercise that I might applie to you that of the Prophete you are a nightly Sentinell of this life and might one day see you amongst the wise Virgins in the eternall banquet of the marriage of the Lambe I could wish that at euery breathing you would cast an ey
necke of the proud and powrefull Be gone accursed O God! what a second thunder bolt shall fall vpon the heades of the Reprobate by this eternall curse a curse which doth comprehend in it selfe in an eminēt manner all the torments which euerlastingly they are to endure in Hell Be gone thou accursed figue tree Be gone barrē trees twise deade rooted out of the blessed earth and are onely fitt to be cast into the fire Be gone you are not worthy to take vp place in the garden of my delightes where I plante none but trees that beare good fruite Goe you accursed into eternall fire Goe into deuoureing flames take vp your Abode in eternall fires The blast of my wroth shall kindle the brimstone of the furnace wherin you burne as long as I shall be God Athanasia I leaue to your meditation the rest of this horrible sentence which in the twinkling of an eye shall be put in execution ingeniously confessing vnto you that my quakeing pen doth fall from its flight as did the birds of old which flew ouer the accursed lake of Pentapolis But le ts turne our eyes from this tragicall spectacle let 's giue an attentiue eare to the sweete voice of the Spouse of the elected foule ô how delightfull shall this voice be and how iustly may the Elect say with the Psalmist ô how sweete is thy word ô Lord to our taste yea it is more sweete then the honie combe Loe here the sentence of their eternall felicitie Come ô what an actractiue word is this able euen to draw out of the Abisse of nothing that which yet hath no beeing sith God doth call that which is not as that which is giueing beeing to that which is not by his powerfull word Come With what promptitude shall the Elect spring vp into the ayre to present themselues before their Spouse and to obey his blisfull cōmands wholy to be desired yea the crowne and accomplishment of all their desires Though they were as vnsensible as iron this lodestone will draw them II it will draw them after it selfe in the sweete odour of this inuitation Come This word doth intimate a perfect vnion of grace and Glorie which shall transforme the Blessed into God participating of his felicitie and shall translate them into the inheritance of the children of the eternall Father Come yee blessed ô benediction far passing that of the old Patriarkes and which conteynes in it the fatnes of the wishfull soyle and all the dewe of Heauen quite putting downe the dewe of Hermō which doth disperse it selfe all ouer the Mountaine of Sion O how blessed are they who are blest by our Lord who made Heauen and earth They shall dwell for euer in the Land of Promise a Land of benediction freed from all captiuitie by the presence of our Lord. A Land which doth flow with the milke and honie of Diuine blessings a Land abūding with the bread of Angells with heauēly Manna where the Elect possest of a constant peace shall enioy a plentuous repose In this happie day alloted for Iustice and Mercy an inuariable plentie of Peace shall befall the Iuste and the Moone of change shall be taken away Here it is Athanasia that I would inuite you to ruminate with me that Diuine sallie of loue and desire of the greate S. AVGVSTINE Bring to passe that I may loue thee ô Lord and if I loue thee not yet enough effect that I may loue thee more Certes it is not possible for me to know in what measure I want necessarie loue this onely I know that all plentie which is not my God is to me meere miserie and want O how happie is he saith the Psalmist who hath his desires filled with him And who indeed can be said to be compleatly rich but he that is saciated with his glorie and inebriated with the abundance of the delightes of his house Come yee blessed of my Father and receaue the Kingdome prepared for you from the begining of the world O what a Kingdome ô what a crowne Crowne of gold beset with signes of sanctitie glorie and honour liueries of vallour Come my beloued saith he to those elect soules come and you shall be crowned This eternall and infinitly happie Kingdome saith S. ISIDORVS in what euer respect it be considered is promised to all kind of people and yet ô humane blindnesse few speake of it few thinke of it and that but rarely too Worldly entertaynemēts are stuffed with friuolous and impertinent discourses rarely doe we heare any newes of Heauen and that heauenly life which shall neuer haue end This is a miserable straying from the right way Our life is lent vs to breath after Eternitie Nor it is sutable to the condition of a Christian to hope for any glorie or felicitie which is not eternall Those that doe vndertake any lōg voyage or famous pilgrimage as that of the Holy Lād doe entertayne thēselues in the way with on other thought then that of the place whither they tend solacing their wearinesse with the sweet memorie of that which they hope to see there O Athanasia what ought we to doe in this sade exile where we are Pilgrimes and Passingers after the manner of our fore-fathers where we wander and stray from God but to place our thoughtes vpō the Contrie whither we trauell vpon the Citie of permanent abode whither we breath and to refresh our labours by the blessed hope of the wished period of our pilgrimage and withall to imitate the Traueller who contēting him selfe vpon the way with pure necessaries holds on without stop or stay or looking backward making vse of temporall things onely to aduance vs in our way to Eternitie O how full of glorie is this Kingdome sings the holy Church where all the Saintes doe raigne with God And who will giue force to the wings of our desires to ayme and fly towards this marke during the whole course of our mortall life a happie course if it arriue at so wishfull an end But now it is high tyme that to free our pencill we giue the last touch to this Draught by an Adoration of the essentiall Eternitie LXXX O Great God! Eternall Essēce ESSENTIALL ETERNITIE why it is thee in fine which before and aboue all things I desire and seeke for And if I aspire after the Blessed Eternitie the reasō is because it is no other thing then thy selfe who art and who doth make eternall life which without thee and out of thee would nether be desireable nor estimable Behold all my desire is before thee and I powre out my prayer in thy presence which hath no other ayme but inseparably and eternally to vnite my selfe vnto thy Goodnesse to hold it and neuer to be separated from it to seeke thy face to search for thy faire countenance the onely Obiect of myne eternall felicitie Giue thy selfe vnto me ô my God behold I loue thee and giue thee my whole heart Thou desirest not the man