the more he was hardened and the more Gods mercy appeared in remoouing his punishments the more was he animated to despise and contemne God But when our Lord is pleased to enkendle one sparke of the fire of his true loue in a hard heart presently it waxeth soft and melteth like waxe so that no obstinacy though neuer so continuall and obdurate can hinder it And of a heart of stone it becommeth a heart of flesh Psal 147 For when the spirit of our Lord bloweth Waters will slowe from the frozen Snowe We haue an example in the Gospell Luk. 7 of that woman that was a Sinner in the Citty whome neither the admonitions of her Brother reprehensions of her Sister honour of her Family nor her owne shame could moue to abstaine from sinne And yet one beame of Christ peircing her heart and there enkindling a sparke of Diuine loue did so strangely alter her that being a Noble woman she blushed not in a publicke Feast to cast her selfe at Christes feete All weeping with her teares to bathe them and with her haire in steede of a towell to wipe them oftentimes most louingly to kisse them and with a most precious odoriserous oyntment to annoint them signifying thereby that from thenceforth she bequeathed her selfe and all that was hers vnto the seruice of Christ Therefore she heard that saying of our Sauiour Many sinnes are forgiuen her Luk 7 because she hath loued much But it shall not be from our purpose to sett downe another example also of late time William Duke of Aquitane liued in the time of St. Bernard a man most wilfull and obstinate In defending Anacletus the Scismatical Pope against Innocentius the lawfull He banished all the Catholicke Bishops out of his Countrey and tooke an oath that hee would neuer be at peace with them and because all men knewe him obdurate in wickednesse and cruelty and terrible for his pride there was none that durst admonish him It pleased God by his seruant Bernard to visite the hard heart of this man and to kindle a great sparke of Diniue loue therein Presently of a Lyon he became a Lambe humble of proude and most obedient of most obstinate For at one onely worde of St. Bernard hee friendly imbraced the Bishop of Poyters and with his owne hand placed him in his Chaire And which seemeth to surpasse all admiration demaunding of a certaine Hermit remedy of soule for his sinnes past He was commanded by the same Hermit to weare a coate of Brasse next his skin so buckled that it could neuer be put off and presently hee obeyed and it was so donne And being sent by the Hermite to the Pope for absolution he went But the Pope suspecting that hee did not heartily repent or else desirous to try his patience commaunded him to goe on Pilgrimage to Ierusalem to demaund absolution of the Patriarke of that Citty Without delay he vndertooke that iourney and fulfilled the Popes commandement Lastly of a potent Prince he became an humble Monke So that in that age there was scarce any found to surpasse him in humility patience pouerty deuotion and piety This indeed is the change of the right hand of the heighest Psal 76 this is the force of the Diuine fire against which no heard heart can resist There remaineth the last property of the Fire which is to extenuate heauy thinges and cause them easily to mount aloft And this is the cause why men that burne not with the fire of Diuine loue are heauy of heart and to them the Prophet said Psal 4 How long are you of heauy heart Why loue you vanity and secke lying This also is the cause why The body that is corrupted burdeneth the soule as the wise man saith Wisd 9 And an heauy yoake vpon the Children of Adam from the day of their comming foorth of their mothers wombe vntill the day of their burying Eccle. 40. into the mother of al saith Ecclesiasticus And what this heauy yoake is which in this mortall body so burdeneth the soule the same Author declareth a little after when he addeth Fury Euâ—y Wauering Feare Anger and such like commonly called the Passions of the minde These so depresse the minde of Man that it beholdeth nothing but earth to which it cleaueth in such sort that it cannot ascend to seeke God nor speedily run the way of his Commondements But when the fire of God beginneth from aboue to inslame it forthwith those passions begin to deminish and be mortified and this heauy burden to wax lighter And if the heate increase it will so vnburthen the haâ—t that it may flye vp like a Doue say with the Apostle Our conuersation is in heauen Phil. 3 And being also dilated by this fire it may say with Dauid Psal 111 I haue runne the way of thy commandements when thou hast delateâ— my harâ— Truely since our Sauiour said Luk. 12 I came to cast fire on the earth and what will I but that it be kindled We haue seene many so enlightned therewith that they haue wholy forsaken the loue of honour pleasure and wealth and haue said to Christ ascending into heauen Draw vs after thee This hath caused so many Monasteries to be erected so many desertes to be inhabited so many companies of virgins to be instituted who did not onely with ease runne the way of the Commandements but also ascended into the way of Counsells To follow the Lambe whethersoeuer he shall goe Apoc. 14 O Blessed fire which giueth light and wasteth not and if it waste it wasteth but the peccant humors that lise be not extinguished thereby Who will cause me to be inflamed with this fire which with the light of true Wisdome expelleth the darknesse of ignorance and blindenesse of an erronious conscience And which changeth the coldenesse of slothe indeuotion and negligence into the heate of loue That it neuer suffer my hart to be hardened but with the heate thereof to be mollified and made deuout And that it take from it the heany yoake of earthly cares and desires that with the winges of holy contemplation wherewith Charitie is nourished and increased it may be so lifted vp that I may say with the Prophet Make ioyfull the soulc of thy seruant Psal 85 because to thee O Lord I haue lifted vp my Soule THE SEVENTH STEPP From the Consideration of Heauen to wit of the Sunne Moone and Starres WE shall not labour much in this place from the consideration of Heauen Cap. 1 to frame for our selues a Stepp to contemplate God for we haue the kingly Prophet going before vs who in the Psalmes saith Psal 18 The Heauens shew forth the glory of God the â—â—â—mament declareth the workes of his hands And because there are two seasons to wit the day night in which we may from the consideration of heauen ascend vnto God with the wings of contempâ—ation of the first he writeth
men as they haue preferred their loue before their estate and dignitie children and parentes yea their life and eternall saluation The examples which are read in holy Scripture of Dauid Salomon and Sampson are known histories are full of the like Wherefore my soule if so great beautie be giuen by God to creatures how great admirable maist thou think is the beautie of God himselfe For none can giue that which he hath not And if men delighted with the beauty of the Sun and starres though those Bright bodies saith the wise man to be Goddes Wisd 13 Let them knowe how much the Lord of them is more beautifull then they for the author of beautie made all these thinges How great the beautie of God is we may gather not onely because it comprehendeth the beautie of all creatures most eminently within it selfe but also for that it being vnto vs inuisible while we are Pilgrims on earth and onely vnderstood by faith of Scriptures and mirrour of Creatures yet notwithstanding many saints haue bin so inflamed with the loue thereof that some of them haue hid themselues in Desertes and attended onely to the contemplation therof as St. Mary Magdalen Paul the first Heremite the great Anthony and others of whom you may reade in the religious History of Theodoret. Others forsaking their wiues and Children and whatsoeuer els they possessed on earth liued in Monasteries vnder the obedience of others that they might enioy the friendship of God Others desired willingly with rigorous paines to end their liues that they might come to the sight of that infinite beautie Heare one of them to wit St. Ignatius the Martyre in his Epistle to the Romans Let fire gallowes beastes breaking of my bones quartering of my members brusing of my body and all the torments of the Deuill come vpon me so that I may enioy Christ If then this diuine beauty not yet seene but onely beleeued and hoped for could kindle such a feruent desire what will it doe when as the vaile being remooued it shall be seene as it is in it selfe It will doubtlesse bring to passe Psal 3 That being drunke with the torrent of that pleasure we neither will nor can one moment turne our eyes from it And what wonder is it although the Angels and blessed soules which alwayes see the face of their Father in heauen are not wearied or tyred with that sight since God himselfe from all eternity beholding his owne beauty is fully pleased there with and being happie by that sight desireth nothing els entring as it were into a Vineyard or Garden of all delights from whence he neuer shall nor will depart Seeke that beauty O my soule sigh after it day and night say with the Prophet My soule hath thirsted after thee the strong liuing Psal 41 when shall I come and appeare before the face of God Say with the Apostle We are bolde 2 Cor 5 and haue a good will to be Pilgrims rather from the body and to be present with our Lord. Neither doe thou feare to be defiled with the loue of that beauty For the loue thereof doth comfort not corrupt doth purifie and not polute the hart The holy virgin and martyre St. Agnes sayd truely I loue Christ whose mother is a virgin whose Father knoweth no woman whom when I loue I am chaste when I touch I am cleane when I take I remaine a virgin But if thou dost truely desire the vncreated beauty of thy Lord thou must fulfill that which the Apostle addeth in that place 2 Cor. 5 Therefore saith he we endeauour whether absent or present to please him If God please thee thou oughtest likewise to please God And surely we shall please God in the country of the liuing when as we shall be illuminated with his glory as the Prophet saith Psal 114 I will please our Lord in the country of the liuing But in this Pilgrimage we are so easily poluted and defiled with the slime of sinne that the Apostle St. Iames said Iam. 3 In many things we offend all And the Prophet Dauid to shewe how fewe are immaculate in this life affirmeth that it belongeth to Happinesse Psal 118 saying Blessed are the immaculate in the way Therefore my soule if in this absence and Pilgrimage thou wilt please thy Lord it is not enough to desire to please him but it behooueth thee as the Apostle saith to striue to please him that is with great diligence to beware of such spottes as may make thy face deformed and if any happen to sticke therein with like diligence to endeauour to wipe them away Dost thou not see how women which seeke to please their husbands spend many houres in dressing their hayre adorning their face and wiping away the spottes of their garments and all this they doe to please the eyes of a mortall man who soone after must be turned to earth and ashes what oughtest thou therefore to doe to please the eyes of thy immortall spouse who alwaies beholdeth thee and desireth to see thee without spot or wrinkle It is needefull then to striue with all thy force Luc. 1 That thou walke before him in holinesse and iâ—stice and remoue from thee with speed all things that may hinder the same not hauing respect to flesh and blood nor to the speeches and opinions of men For thou canst not please God and the world both at once according to the Apostles saying Yf I yet did please men Gal. 1 I should not be the seruant of Christ THE THIRD STEPP From the Consideration of the earth WE haue considered the Corporall world in generall Cap. 1 Let vs now consider the principall parts thereof that from them we may erect a Ladder to contemplate their maker First there is the Earth the which although it occupie the lowest place among the elements and seemeth to be lesse then the rest yet it is not lesse then the water and in dignitie and worth it excelleth the other elements Whereupon we often read in holy Scripture That God made heauen and earth as the principall parts of the world Gen. 1 For he made heauen as the Pallace of God and Angels the earth as the Pallace of men Psal 113 The heauen of heauen is to our Lord saith the Prophet but the earth he hath giuen to the children of men And that is the cause why the heauen is full of bright starres the earth aboundeth with mettalls precious stones hearbes trees and beastes of diuers kindes whereas the water is stored onely with fish and the ayre and fire are in a manner emptie and naked elements But omitting this The earth hath three thinges most worthy of consideration by which a vigilant minde may easily ascend vnto God First the earth is the most firme foundation of the whole world without which we could neither walke worke Psal 92 rest nor liue He hath established saith Dauid the round world which
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
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
Rom 7 Not the good which I will that doe I but the euill which I will not that I doe And which of vs all but findeth this true by experience I would pray with attention to God and I command my imagination not to wander about and cause me to thinke of other thinges whiles I pray And yet I cannot keepe it in order but when I least suspect I finde my selfe deluded by it and omitting my prayers I fall to muse on other matters I would not be molested with lust nor angry out of reason and by Free-will I command the concupiscible and irascible powers which are in me to obey reason and not to be seduced by the bodily sences And yet reason is not obeyed nor that done which I would but that which I would not But of all other things it is most admirable miserable that the minde coÌ„mandeth the body it presently obeyeth it doÌ„mandeth it selfe it disobeyeth Lib 8. con cap. 4 Vade hoc Monstrum Whence is this strange thing saith St. Augustinâ— the minde coÌ„maâ—deth the hand to moue it doth with such speede that the comman ment can hardly be discerned froÌ„ the execution therof it is the minde the hand a body The minde commaundeth the minde to be willing and it is the same thing and yet it doth it not But it willeth not fully and therefore it doth not fully command It is not therefore any strange thing but an infirmitie of the minde whith doth â—ot fully rise being lifted vp by truth and kept downe by custome But the free will of God is ioyned with absolute power for of him it is written He hath done all thinges whatsoeuer he would And Psal 113 There is none that can resist thy will Esther 13 Wherefore my Soule if thou be wise doe not boast of the force of thy free will vntill thou come into the freedome of glory where thy Heauenly Phisition will cure all thy infirmities and fill thy desire with all good thinges And in the meane while sigh dayly and say vnto God with the Prophet Psal 26 Be thou my helper for sake me not Not coldly also for custome sake but with attention and from thy hart repeate at the least seauen times a day O God intend vnto my belpe Psal 69 Lord make hast to help me Seauenthly Cap. 7 Mans soule hath a reasonable will which not onely hath power to desire good thinges present particular and corporal as beasts doe but also good thinges absent vniuersall and spirituall which are knowne by the light of faith or reason vntill it come to the Highest Happinesse which is God This maketh the soule capable of vertues and especially of Charitie the Queene of vertues Brute beastes indeede haue the loue of Concupiscence but the loue of friendship they knowe not But thou my soule art by God made capable of Charitie the Chiefe of all Guiftes whereby God remaineth in thee and thou in him For God is Charitie 1 Ioh. 4 and he that abideth in Charitie abideth in God and God in him And if the Happinesse of a created will be so great what may we think of the Happinesse wherwith the increated will is filled Onely the will of God is capable of infinite loue wherewith the infinite goodnesse of God is worthy to be loued Neither doth his will want vertues or needeth to be directed by his vnderstanding for they are all one as Wisdome and Charitie in God is the same thing Eightly Cap. 8. the soule of Man is in the body but farre otherwise then the soules of brute beastes in their bodies The soules of brute beastes are materiall and extended according to their bodies so that a part of it is in a part of their body and the whole in their whole body But the soule of Man because it is an indiuisible spirit is after an admirable manner Whole in all and whole in euery part so that albeit it fill all the body yet it occupieth no place in the body And when the body groweth the soule groweth not but beginneth to be where before it was not And if a member be cut away or withered the soule is not deminished nor withered but ceaseth to be in that member where before it was without hurt or mutilation This is a true resemblance of Gods existence in Creatures For God is an indiuisible spirit and yet he filleth all the world and euery part thereof Neither doth he occupie any place But is Whole in all and whole in euery part of the world And when any creature is produced God beginneth to be in it and yet he is not mooued And when any creature is by chance destroyed or dyeth God is not destroyed or dyeth but ceaseth to be in it without locall mutation Thus farre then God and the soule agree but in many thinges God as it is meete doth farre excell For the soule before it can moue and gouerne the body must become the forme of the body and be so vnited vnto it that of the soule and body is made one Man But God needeth not become the forme or soule of the world Neither of him and the world is one Compounded substance made For his immencitie is such that he is euery where his indiuisible vnitie such that he is wholy euery where And his omnipotencie such that he worketh euery where Moreouer although the soule be said to be in all the body yet it is not properly but in the partes which haue life and therefore it is not in the humors in the hayre in the nayles or in dryed and dead members But God is in all thinges both corporall and spirituall without exception neither can it be that any thing exist wherin God is not The soule also is but in her owne body which is narrow and straight where all the partes are continued together But God is in this vniuersalitie of thinges although it be very great and the partes thereof not continued together but contiguous and adioyning And if more worldes were made God should be in them all for of him it is written 1 Par. 6 The heauen and heauens of heauens doe not containe thee And albeit new heauens and earthes were multiplied without end God should fill them all for no place can be where he should not be Ninthly the soule of Man beside those thinges which are said hath also in it an obscure image of the Blessed Trinitie because it hath a power to remember to vnderstand and to loue and also for that the minde doth by the vnderstanding Forme a word and from the minde and the word proceedeth loue For that which is knowne by the minde and represented by the Word as Good is forthwith by the Will loued and desired But God the Father did after a more high and diuine manner begett God the Word and God the Father and God the Word becathed our God the hâ—ly Ghost the huâ—ng Fountaine of
all chasts lone And therefore the mysterie of the Trinitie doth surpasse all naturall knowledge neither can a learned Philosopher attaine thereunto without supernaturall light For the soule of Man produceth a Word and a loue which are not substances but accidents and therefore no persons But God the Father did beget the word consubstantiall to himselfe And the Father and the word breathed out the holy Ghost consubstantiall likewise to them both Therefore the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost are truely three persons The soule of Man also produceth a Word which continueth not long and the Will produceth a loue which lasteth not long but God the Father did beget The Wordeternall and the Father and the Word did breath out the holy Ghost eternall For God cannot be without his Word and Spirit Furthermore the soule of Man by one Word representeth but one thing and therefore it multiplyeth the wordes not onely of the Minde but also of the mouth The will of Man likewise must produce many actes of Loue if it will loue many thinges but God with one Word speaketh all truth and with one Acte of loue loueth all good thinges Tenthly and lastly Cap. 10 the soule of man whiles it is in the body is not seene heard mooued nor scarce conceiued to be there and yet from it all good thinges are deriued to the body as sense motion speech subsistence beauty strength and the like For how could a man see heare speake walke subsist and be strong faire and amiable vnlesse his soule were in him And why doth he not after he is dead see heare speake and mooue but because his soule is departed from whence these benefites proceeded Euen so thy God O my soule whiles he liueth in thee by his Grace maketh thee to see what Faith sheweth thee and to heare what he speaketh in thee That thou mayest walke in the Way of the Commaundements towardes the Heauenly Hierusalem and speake in prayer to God and in good exhortations to thy neighbour and subsist perseuering in good workes and be strong in battaile against thy inuisible enemies and thereby become beautifull in the eyes of the inuisible God and his Angells But take heede least Gods grace departing from thee which is the life of thy soule thou fall into the losses of the First death And from it be carried to the second death froÌ„ whence is no Resurrection O that thy God would open the eyes of thy minde that thou mightest behold the beauty of a Soule that is vnited to him in Charity What place hee prepareth for it What ioyes hee promiseth it How louingly hee looketh on it And with what longing it is ezpected by the Angells and blessed Soules Then wouldest thou not endure that so great beauty should be blemished with the least spott And if it should so happen thou wouldest endeauour to wash it away with floudes of teares For so did St. Francis as Saint Bonauenture reporteth who although he could not follow the immaculate Lambe without some spot endeauoured notwithstanding to purge and clense his soule with daily shewers of teares from all spottes of offences whatsoeuer Againe if thy God would open thy inward eyes that thou mightest see the deformity of a Sinfull soule how it slinketh like a rotten carcasse and how both God and his Angells reiuse to looke thereon although perhaps it dwell in a beautifull body very pleasing to the eyes of men surely thou wouldst be so affrighted that by no meanes thou wouldest become such a one nor long continue in such estate THE NINTH STEPP From the Consideration of Angells WE are come to the highest Stepp of Ascention vnto God Cap. 1 from created substances For if wee speake onely of Naturall perfection there is no created substance higher then that of Angells First therefore we will consider Angells according to their excellency of Nature Secondly according to their sublimity of Grace And lastly according to the Offices which they execute For it is not our meaning to enter into a full Disputation about Angells but onely to touch such thinges as may helpe vs to eleuate ouâ— mindes to God If an Angell then be compared vnto Mans reasonable Soule it may fitly be called a perfect Soule euen as the soule may be called an vnperfect Angell For so of man spake the Prophet by reason of his Soule when he said Thou hast minished him a little lesse then Angells Psal 8 An Angell is a Perfect Spiritual Substance the Soule an Vnperfect Spirituall Substance because it is the Bodyes Forme and but one part of Man Therefore an Angell is all Spirit Man partly Spirit and partly flesh or partly an Angell and partly a beast As if one should say An Angell is all of golde Man partly of golde and partly of clay The Prophet then said truely Man is minished little lesse then Angells And it is also true that the soule of man because it is a part of man is little lesse then an Angell Whereupon it followeth that an Angell is more like to God then a man or his soule for God is a Spirit and not a Body or Forme of of a body And yet notwithstanding this resemblance of an Angell vnto God God is a spirit infinitely excelling the dignity of an Angel For God is a Spâ—rit vncreated eternall immense Almighty onely Good onely Wise onely High If then my soule thou wilt confesse that thou doest with reason admire the Nature of Angells How much more oughtest thou to admire and reuerence the Nature of God who without all comparison excelleth them Neither in Nature or substance onely may an Angell be called a perfect Mâ—n Cap. 2 and Man an vnperfect Angell but also in knowledge and vnderstanding For man because hee vseth the ministery of his sences and discourseth from effectes to causes and from causes to effectes vnderstandeth with lâ—bour and by degrees attaineth vnto knowledge whervpon he oftentimes doubteth oftentimes is deceiued and seldom findeth out the Truth But an Aâ—gell beholdeth aâ— once the effectes and causes together seeth the Substance with the Accidentes and spirituall thinges with corporall Man therfore whiles hee is a Pâ—grim on carth in vnderstanding is not a little lesse but much lesse then Angells So that albeit hee excell in Witt and in the study of Philosophy Yet in comparison of an Angell he may truely be accounted a Childe or sucking Infant Not vntruely therfore spake that Prophet of vs mortall Men Oâ—â— of the mouth of Infantes Psal 8 and Sucklings thou hast perfited praise Heare what the wise Salomon iudged of our Wisdome wherewith we are so puffed vp All thinges are hard saith he Man cannot explicate them in Worde Bccle 1 Bccles 3 And againe God hath deliuered the World to their disputation that man cannot finde â—he Worke which God hath â—rought from the beginning to the end If all thinges then are hard and which man cannot explicate And if man vnderstand nothing in this visible
Christ suffered for vs 1 Pet. 2 leauing vs an example that we may follow his stepps saith St. Peter the Apostle And what are his Stepps Who saith he did no sinne neither was guile found in his mouth Who when howâ—s reuyled did not reuyle when he suffered be threatned not There are two Stepps of Christ which if thou tread not thoâ— shalt loose thy way to heauen First doe not but suffer euil Secondly Doe good and here expect no good Or which is the summe of all Loue thy neighbour for Gods sake not for reward of man and for friendship not for lust Let vs now come to the dignitie of Angells according to Grace Cap. 5 Truely in this also Man is lessened more then a little lesse then Angels For God so created Angels in the beginning that at the same instant he made their Nature and infused in them grace as St. De Cin lib 12 c 9 Augustine witnesseth in his bookes of the Cittie of God And then so soone as by the first conuersion of their mindes to God they adhered to him by loue the reprobate Angels falling they were crowned with beatitude and glory Therefore their Pilgrimage was very short but their Mansion in heauen eternall If yet that short space which passed betweene their creation and beatitude may be called a Pilgrimage But we in our creation receaued grace with our nature in our first parent and not in our selues therefore by his fall we al fell In whom as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 5. all sinned For although by the Mediator of God and men Christ Iesus we are reconciled to God yet we are condemned to continual banishment and whiles we are in body we are Pilgrims from our Lord For we walke by saith and not by sight 2 Cor 5 And it much afflicteth pious men and such as sighafter heauen that we are heere conuersant among our cruell eneâ—â—ies where there is danger lest being circumuented and taken by them we be at leugth excluded from the possâ—ssion of our most sweete country Hence proceeded these wordes Psal 119 Woe is me that my soiourning is prole ged I haue dwelt with the inhabitants of Cedar my soule hath beene long a soâ—ourner But although â—n this we are lesse then Angels yet Gods mercy doth greatly comfort vs for that it hath pleased him of our kinde to exalt Christ aboue all the Angels of heauen as also his Blessed Mother Many men likewise being inferior to Anâ—els in the guists of Nature haue surmounted some of them in the guiftes of grace and equalled the Highest Truely St. Iohn Chrysistome expounding the Epistle to the Romans Hom 32 doubteth not to place the chiefe Apostles Peter and Paul whereas the Seraphins doe flye and gloryfie God Which also is pious to beleeue of St. Iohn baptist and others Adde moreouer that as the good Angels after their first merit entred into glory so the euill Angels after their first sinne were condemned to perpetuall punishment Men ought not therefore to complaine of a longer space since they may therein often â—mend and by repentance â—rocure pardon for their offence It now remaineth that we speake somewhat of the offices of Angels Cap. 6 Angels haue fiue Offices The first is alwayes with Hymnes and songes to prayse their maker And that we may vnderstand how much God esteemeth this ministerie we must consider that the highest Angels are appointed for this Office who being as it were the first singers in that Quire all the other Orders of Angels follow with incredible exultation Heare what the Prophet Isay saith Isay 6 I sâ—we our Lord sitting vpor a high thrâ—ne eâ—uated those things that were vnder hâ—m filled the Temple Seraphins stood vpon the same six wings to one six winges to the other with two they couered his face and with two they couered his feete and with two they flâ—we Aâ—d they cryed one to in other and said Holy hâ—ly holy the Lord God of hostes all the earth is full of his glory Heere thou hearest the name Seraphin which are the Chiefe of the Heighest Order Thou seest them couer his face and feete in signe of reuerence as if they durst not behold his face or touch his bare feete â—hou seest they flye continually whiles they sing which signifieth their desire to approach still nearer vnto God which two things are needfull for those who desire to please God that while they sing his prayses they loue him with reuerence and reuerence him with loue This the Prophet Dauid declareth saying Psal 2 Serue our Lord in feare and reioyce to him with trembling From hence thou mayst learne my soule with what veneration God is to be serued since the chiefe Angels in heauen which alwayes beholde his face dare not notwithstanding their highe estate and long familiaritie but reuerently feare him whiles they prayse him And what wilt thou Dust and Ashes answere at the day of iudgement when thou shalt be reprehended for thy drowsinesse and distractions in a worke so diuine that thou wast not worthy to be imployed therein Learne therfore from henceforth being taught by such a President to prayse thy God with feare reuerence atention vigilancye and loue An other Office of Angels is to offer vp the prayers of men to God And to commend them also by their suffrage For so speaketh the Angel Raphael in the booke of Tobyas When thou didst pray with teares Tob 12 and didst bury the dead and left thy dinner I offered thy prayer to our Lord. And in the Apocalips Iohn sawe an Angel standing before the Altar with a golden Censer Apoc 8 And there were saith he giuen to him many incenses that he should giue of the prayers of all saintes vpon the Altar of golde which is before the throne of God And in this truely the great mercy of God doth also appeare For he was not content first by his Prophets and after by his sonne and his Apostles to exhort vs to pray but also promised to giue whatsoeuer we should aske Aske saith he and it shall be giuen you Luk. 11 And in an other place Ioh 15 Yf you shall aske my Father any thing in my name he will giue it you And beside this promise he also added A reward to those that aske Math. 9 But thou saith he when thou shalt pray enter into thy Chamber and hauing shut the dore pray to thy Father in secret â—and thy father which seeth thee in secret will repay thee to wit areward beside the thinges which thou didst aske For so our Lord speaketh in that place of prayer and Aâ—mesdeedes saying Thy Father which seeth in secret will repay thee Neither is God content with this demonstration of fahterly loue But hath appointed the Angels as masters of Requestes to take charge of the prayers and petitions of the poore and to present and reade them in his sight that no one of their Petitions
and receiueth them of none Iudgeth all and is iudged of none Moreouer God is not onely a Iudge but also a King And therefore hee iudgeth not like a Iudge appointed by a King but as the highest coÌ„manding King For which cause hee is called the King of Kinges Apoc 19 And A great King aboue all Godds â—sal 94 psal 75 And terrible to the Kinges of the earth Because hee transferreth Kingdomes and Empyres from one Nation vnto another and Taketh away the spirit of Princes when hee pleaseth Neither is God the Highest King and Iudge onely but also an Abâ—olute Lord which is the highest tytle of all For Kinges are not such absolute Lordes ouer their Subiectes as that they may when they please depriue them of their goods and liues Whereof King Achab can be a witnesse 3 Reg 21 who would haue had Naboths vineyard yet could not but by the treachery and calumnie of his wife For which cause they both miserably perished But God is an Absolute Lord whom all thinges doe serue and yet he serueth none and as can if he so please reduce all thinges to Nothing because hee made them all of Nothing Thinke therfore my soule what great feare and reuerence wee wormes of the Earth owe vnto him that sitteth vpon the Highest Throne If I be the Lord saith he by the Prophet Malachie where is my Feare Mal 1 And if the Highest Angells of Heauen serue him with feare and trembling what ought we fraile mortall men to doe who dwell on the earth with beastes But to some it may seeme strange why God who is most high loueth not creatures that therin resemble him to witt the high and loftie but the humble and poore For so speaketh God by Isay To whome shall I haue respect Isay 66 but to the peore little one and the contrite of Spirit and him that trembleth at my wordes Psal 12 And Dauidâ— Our Lord is high and beholdeth the lowe thinges Yes surely God loueth high and lofty Creatures if therein they resemble him But then they must be high in Deede and not in appearance God therfore loueth not the Proude which are elate and puffed vp not truely high But hee loueth the humble and such as tremble at his wordes and exalteth them And they are high indeed whome be exalteth Those therefore that are humble are High To witt humble in their owne eyes and high in the eyes of God If one had seene not onely with his bodily but also with his mentall eyes illumiminated by God the rich Glutton cloathed in purple sitting at his table furnished with all kindes of costly meates attended with many seruantes diligently doing their offices And at the same time had likewise beheld poore Lazarus halfe naked and full of sores sitting at the rich mans gate and begging to be filled with the crummes that fell from his table He truly should haue seene the rich man whom the world accompted most happy to be in the eyes of God and his Angells as vile and abhominable as the dung and dirt of the earth Luk. 16 For that which is high to men is abhomination before God saith our Lord in the same place where he describeth the rich GluttoÌ„ But on the other side he should haue seene the poore deiected Lazarus to be esteemed and enobled in the eyes of God and his Angells as a precious Margarite which in the end proued true For Lazarus as the beloued of God was carryed by the handes of Angells into Ahrahams bosome And the rich man as hatefull to God was dragged by the Deuills into the Hell of Fire But why speake I of Lazarus There is none higher with God then our Lord Iesus Christ euen according to his humanity And yet neither in Heauen or Earth is there any to be found more humble then hee So that he said most truely Learne of me because I am meeke and humble Math 11 For as that most holy soule doth knowe more perfectly then all other the Infinite height of the Diuinitie So it doth more perfectly know the basenesse of a Creature which is made of nothing And therefore being also it selfe a Creature it is most humbled and subiected to God and by him exalted aboue all Creatures The like we may also say of blessed Angells and soules of holy men For there are none more humble then those which possesse the highest places in Heauen Because they being more neere to God doe more clearely see how great the difference is betweene the greatnesse of the Creator and smalnesse of the Creature Therfore my soule loue humility if thou desire true glory Immitate the Lambe without spott Immitate his virgin mother immitate the Cherubins and Seraphins all which the higher they are the more humble also they are Neither hath God onely a most high Throne Cap. 7. because he iudgeth all but also because he resteth more then all and maketh them to rest vpon whom he sitteth Gods most high Throne is his most high rest For although he gouerneth the whole world in which are continuall conflicts and warrs of elements beasts and men Wisd 1â— yet he iudgeth with tranquilitie as it is said in the booke of Wsdome and alwayes enioyeth most high rest Neither can any thing trouble his quietnesse and the contemplation of himselfe wherein he taketh eternall delight Therefore he is called the king of Ierusalem which is to say the vision of peace But his peculiar Throne is vpon the blessed Angells therefore it is said He that sitteth vpon the Cherubins Psal 79 98 For God is said to sit rather vpon the Cherubins then vpon the Seraphins For the Cherubins signifie multiplicitie of knowledge and the Seraphins heate of loue And rest followeth Wisdome but care and anxietie followeth loue vnlesse it be accompanied with Wisdome Therfore the soule of a righteous man is also called The seate of Wisdome Isay 66 Moreouer when Isay saith Heauen is my seate And when Dauid saith Psal 113 The heauen of heauen is to our Lord by the heauen of heauen is vnderstood the spirituall heauens which dwell vpon the corporall beauens to wit the blessed Angells as St. Augustine saith in his exposition of the hundred and thirtieth Psalme And these heauens God maketh to rest so admirably that it is a peace which passeth all vnderstanding St. Bernard in one of his Sermons vpon the Canticles Ser. 23 setteth downe a very fit similitude to declare this rest in these wordes Tranquillus Deus tranquillat omnia c. God being quiet quieteth all thinges and to behold his quietnesse is to rest We see a king after dayly suites of causes heard before him to dismisse the company to auoyde the troubles of the Court and to goe at night into his priny Chamber with a sewe whom he familiarly loueth thinking himselfe the more sure the more secret he is and being the more pleasant the more quietly he beholdeth those fewe
10 For what desert can be more base and obscure then to giue a cup of cold water to one that is a thirst And yet for it also hath God promised a reward And of the large rewards which our Lord hath promised Saint Luke writeth Good measure Luk. 6 and pressed downe and shaken together and running ouer shall they giue into your bosome Neither is it to be feared least God should want any thing to giue for reward vnto the righteous since hee is the Lord of all thinges and can by his worde onely increase and multiply them without end Nor is it to be doubted lest perhaps he be deceiued in the true number value of their desertes since hee is most Wise beholdeth all things searching the Harts reynes of his well deseruing seruants to see with what minde intention zeale and diligence they doe all thinges Neither may it be thought that God hath an ill meaning to defraude his children and seruantes of their due recompence because he is faithfull in all his wordes Lastly neither can he dye because he is more immortall then any thing whatsoeuer so that there is no danger lest by preuention of death they should be thereof deprined Certaine therefore it is that all the good workes of the righteous are with lustice rewarded Wherefore it is most safe to haue to doe with God in matter of labour and Reward and dangerous to trust in men and to expect from them true recompence for desert Let vs now compare rewardes with rewardes thinges Coelestiall Diuine with thinges Terrestriall and Humane O blindnesse of Men. What I pray you can men render to those who labour all day watch all night and hazard their liues for them in battaile What can they render but small base and abiect thinges which shall continue but a short time But God rendâ—eth great high and eternall thinges Yet are the other desired and these contemned St. Iohn Chrisostome in his foure twentieth Homily vpon St. â—athew Compareth the Pallaces Cittyes and Kingdomes of this world which men so admire vnto houses of clay which Children make with great labour but by those that are elder they are laughed at And oft times also when the father or maister seeth his children to neglect their bookes and giue themselues too much to those tryfles he throweth downe all with his foot and destroyeth in a moment what they with great care had a long time bin making Euen so the great Pallaces Towers Castles Townes Cittyes and Kingdomes of mortall men are but as houses of clay in comparison of Coelestiall and Eternall riches and are laughed at by the blessed Angells which beholde them from aboue and oftentimes they are by our heauenly Father and Maister ouer-throwne in a moment that wee may there by vnderstand how vaine and of no moment all these thinges are Which albeit few doe now obserue yet at the day of Iudgment all shall see when as the seeing thereof will little auayle them Saint Hillary in his Comentary vpon the tenth Chapter of Saint Mathew saith That the day of Iudgement will reueale how all these thinges were vayde But let vs declare somwhat more particularly what these heauenly rewardes are which many now contemne in respect of earthly rewardes First in the Kingdome of Heauen there shal be all good thinges that can be desired for all that liue there shal be happy And happinesse is defined to be A heape of all good things perfectly gathered together Therefore the goods of the minde shall be there to witt Wisdome and vertues the goods of the body to witt beauty health and strength And externall goods to wit wealth pleasure and glory Moreouer all these thinges shall be in a most high perfect and excellent degree For God who hath shewed his Power in creating the world of nothing and his wisdome in the order and gouernment thereof and his Loue in the Redemption of man-kinde by the mistery of the incarâ—ation and Passion of his Son will then shew his glory and liberality in rewarding those which haue tryumphed ouer their enemy the Deuill 〈…〉 there God shall not be 〈…〉 onely 〈…〉 himselfe who is the 〈…〉 of Causes and the first 〈…〉 Highest â—uth through which most beautifull vision the â—â—â—les of Saiâ—tâ—s shall shine so bright that St. Iohn speaking of that future Glory saith 1 Ioh. 3 Wee shall be liâ—â— vnto him because we shall see him as he is From this high Happinesse shall proceed most feruent Loue wherby they shall alwayes adhaere vnto God in such sort that they neither will nor can be seperated from him So then the soule with all her powers shall remaine in a most happy estate And the body shall shine as the Sunne as our Lord himselfe doth witness◠〈…〉 the â—â—st 〈…〉 the 〈…〉 Meth. 15 And 〈…〉 of the health 〈…〉 be immortality and the strength impassibility Lastly that which now is a Naturall body 2 Cor 5 shall then be a Spirituall body that is to say so obedient to the Spirit that it shall exceed the Windes in Agâ—litie and penetrate the Walls through Subtilitie Moreouer their Wealth there shall be to want nothing because with God and in God they shall possesse all thinges Mat. 24 For ouer all his gâ—â—ds shall hee appoint them Of their Pleasure what shall I say since it is written They shall be inebriâ—ted with the plenty of thy house Psal 35 and with the torrent of thy pleasure thou shalt make them drinke What minde can conceiue what pleasure it is to enioy the cheife Happinesse To see beauty it selfe To tast sweetnesse it selfe To enter into the ioy of our Lord that is to be partakers of that pleasure which maketh God happy The honour and glory of Saintes exceedeth all eloquence For amidst the Theater of the whole world of all men and Angells the Saintes shall be praised by God and as Champions crowned and which is the highest honour of all they shall be placed in Christes throne as partners of his kingdome For so we read in the Apocalips Apoc. 3 He that shall ouercome I will giue him to sit with me in my throne as I also haue ouercome and haue sitten with my Father in his throne At this height of honour the Prophet wondred when he sayd Psal 13 But to me thy friendes O God are become honoralle exceedingly their prine palitie is exceedingly strengthened And now if to this multiplicitie excellencie of good things we add eternitie as an vnspeakeable Adiunct who can conceaue the greatnesse of this heauenly selicitie And yet what we now cannot conceaue in thought we shall prooue in deede if by our pious righteous and sober life we shall at length arriue vnto that happy country For those goodes indeede shall continue for euer which now with momentary labours Christes seruants purchase by his grace What sayst thou O my soule to these thinges Hadst thou rather immitate the sportes of children