instruct many men in the way of righteousnesse These also are very acceptable and pleasing to Almighty GOD according to the saying of the wisedome of GOD. He that shall observe and teach them shal be called great in the Kingdome of Heaven Jewels and pretious stones are the workes of a chaste soule of which it is said in Ecclesiasticus There is no weight to be compared to a continent or chaste minde And how this pure Virginity pleaseth GOD we may understand by that which Esay speaketh of Eunuchs upon which place St. Augustine speaking doth so commend Virginity in men and women that he made a long Oration upon it And these be the three workes to which are given great rewards and to their possessors or workers namely Martyrs Doctors and Virgins To Martyrs for the excellencie of their love Greater love then this hath no man when any man bestoweth his life sor his friends To Doctors for the eminencie of their wisedome of whom Daniel saith They that turne many to righteousnesse shall shine as the starres for ever and ever To Virgins for the inestimable and incomparable worth of their puritie for whose sake the Virgin harpers in the Revelation sung a new song which none could sing but they These are they which are not defiled with Women for they are Virgins these follow the Lamâ— whither soever he goeth And not onely the love of Martyrs the wisedome of Doctors or purity of Virgins shall be tryed in the fire of Gods judgement and receive their full reward but all other good workes also so they be done in faith and love and shal be reputed among the golden vessels and be tryed by that fire and receive their reward for to those also Christ shall say at the day of judgement Come ye blessed of my Father take the inheritance of the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the World even to them which gave bread to the hungry drinke to the thirsty lodging to the stranger apparell to the naked and comfort to the sicke or captive Nay our Saviour hath promised a reward to those who shall give but a cup of cold water to any in the name of a disciple in love Thou mayest by this easily understand what difference there is betweene one worke and another and what is more foolish more miserable then in the same place and time wherein if thou beest wise thou mayst get gold silver and pretious jewels thou hadst rather and that with no small labour gather dry wood straw and stubble O that thou wouldst be wiâ—e and understand and provide for the last day when all these things shall be examined and tryed by the fire of Gods judgement when the former shal be commended and crowned and the latter burnt and turned into smoke and ashes Why dost thou now choose that which without all doubt will cause thee to repent that ever thou didst choose it and why dost thou not reject that which with thy advantage thou mayst now cast off when a while hence thou shalt without thy profit nay to thy great disadvantage be forced to condemne If perhaps thou dost not now perceive this because the veylâ— of things present hangs over thine eyes so that thou canst not discerne the pure and cleare truth pray then to God and with earnest affection with the blind man in the Gospell say Lord grant that I may see that I may receive my sight or with the Prophet David Open mine eyes that I may see the wonderfull things of thy Law For certainly it is almost a miracle that workes done in love should become gold silver and precious stones and that they which are not done in love should be converted into dry and seare wood straw and stubble Now come wee to consider the other property of fire Hitherto wee have onely learned from the nature of that Element what God worketh in those which depart this world with good workes or end their dayes with evill Now by another similitude drawne from the same fire wee may understand what God worketh with those whom he calleth from sinne to repentance A sinner is compared to Iron which when it is farre from the fire is blacke cold hard and heavy but being put into the fire it is made cleare hot soft and light Every Sinner wanteth his inward light and walketh in darknesse and in this respect may be well resembled to the blacknesse of Iron for though in the knowledge and commerce with men he may seeme to bee wise and of great judgement yet in discerning the true good and evill he is blind and more miserable then any blind man For a blind man seeth nothing and therfore stirreth not nor is moved without a guide but a Sinner thinketh hee seeth that which he seeth not or taketh one thing for another and judgeth good evill and evill good great to be little and little to be great long to be short and short to bel ong and therfore is ever deceived in his choyce And this is it which the Apostle speaketh of in the idolatrous Gentiles Having their understanding darkned through that ignorance that is in them because of the hardnesse of their heart This is that also which our Saviour in the Gospell so often upbraideth the Scribes and Pharisees withall that they were blind leaders of the blind The Prophet Esay also speaking to the Iewes of his time saith Heare you deafe and looke ye blind that ye may see And a little before in the same Chapter prophecying to them of the comming of Christ who should open the eyes of the blind and speaking of the new Testament in the person of God saith I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not and lead them by pathes that they have not knowne I will make darknesse light before them c. Lastly doe not the wicked themselves confesse as much after this life when paine shall begin to open their eyes which sinne had closed Therefore have wee erred from the way of truth and the light of righteousnes hath not shined unto us and the Sun of understanding rose not upon us Nor is it a wonder that they should be blind who are averse from God in will and mind For God is light and in him is no darknesse saith St. Iohn Whereupon the same Apostle concludeth that He that saith he is in the light and hateth his brother is in darknesse And a little after He that hateth his brother is in darknes and walketh in darknes and knoweth not whither he goeth because that darknesse hath blinded his eyes Neither is it the onely cause that sinners are in darknesse because they are averse from God who is the light but because also their owne wickednes hath blinded them as the Wise-man speaketh For the passions of the mind hatred anger envy and the like which are comprehended under the name
Father who causeth the Sunne to arise upon the good and evill and rayneth upon the just and unjust Imitate the Son who having taking our humane nature for our good upon him spared not his owne life to deliver us from the power of darkenesse and everlasting perdition Imitate the holy Ghost who plentifully powreth out and scattereth his most plenteous guifts that he may of carnall make us spirituall DEGREE VI. By the Consideration of FIRE THis Element is of so pure and noble a nature as that GOD himselfe would bee called Fire as both Moses and St. Paul testifie The LORD thy GOD is a consuming Fire And when GOD first appeared to Moses he would be seen in a bush burning but not consuming with Fire when also GOD came to give the Law to his people he appeared in the shape of fire as Moses relateth it Mount Sinai was all on smoke because the LORD came downe upon it in fire To resemble which mystery when the new law was to be published the holy Ghost appeared to the Apostles in the shape of fiery tongues Lastly they which in heaven are neerest to GOD are called Seraphim because they receive fervor and heate from that most ardent and divine fire more then the other Angels It will not therefore be hard or difficult for us out of this element and the nature and properties of it to erect one greece whereby wee may ascend to GOD by prayer and meditation and lesse difficult will it be with Elias to ascend in a fiery Charriot then to make a Ladder to rise up by out of either earth water or ayre Let us therefore examine and consider the properties and qualities of this element Fire is of that nature and quality that it worketh diversly and oft times contrarily in many things 1. It quickly burneth and consumeth Wood Straw and Stubble 2. It purifieth and maketh more beautifull gold and silver 3. It changeth Iron into contrary qualities as of blacke cold hard and heavie the naturall properties of it it maketh it cleare hote soft and light insomuch as it will shine like a starre burne like fire melt and be liquid like water and by the Artificer be moved and lifted easily All these things apparently agree and meete in GOD. And first Wood Hay and Stubble are by the Apostle compared with evill workes which cannot endure the triall of Gods fire for it is almost incredible how hatefull and displeasing all sinnes are to GOD who is a most pure fire with what zeale hee consumes and destroyes them first by repentance if the sinner be in that state that he can repent for by repentance all sinnes are purged and if the sinner be uncapable of repentance as Devils and men after this life are his wrath is kindled against them For the ungodly and his ungodlinesse are both hated alike of GOD saith the wiseman and the Kingly Prophet David confirmes this saying Thou hatest all them that worke vanity How much and great this hatred is the Devill can witnesse who sinning once and being as St. Gregory saith an Angel most noble and glorious and the Prince of the first order of Angels and the most excellent creature of GOD yet was forthwith cast out of Heaven and deprived of all honour and grace turned into a most deformed monster and bound to eternall perdition Christ himselfe is a witnesse who came from Heaven to dissolve the workes of the Devill sinne and therefore is stiled the Lamb of GOD which taketh away the sinnes of the World Yet who is able to declare nay to conceive what and how great things he suffered to destroy the workes of the Devill and fully to satisfie Gods justice Who being in the forme of GOD tooke on him the forme of a servant and being rich was made poore for our sakes not having whereon to lay his head was reviled suffered bare our sinnes in his body on a tree humbled himselfe and became obedient unto the death even the death of the Crosse was derided spit upon scourged crowned with thorns crucified with all ignominie and grievous torments shedding his life and blood and all these things to destroy the Devills worke sinne Witnesse the Law of GOD which forbids and punisheth all sinne leaving not unpunished so much as an idle word And how doe we thinke he detesteth heynous sinnes that cannot endure an idle word For the Law of the LORD is an undefiled Law without all spots and what communion hath light with darknesse or what fellowship hath righteousnesse with unrighteousnesse Lastly let Hell it selfe be witnesse which GOD hath prepared for the wicked and sinners which refused to be washed with the blood of the undefiled Lamb For it is but just that in whom sinne alwaies remaines punishment should bee perpetuall now what the punishment of hell shal be is horrible and fearefull to thinke of which we shall have occasion to speake more at large in the last Degree Therefore seeing that Gods hate to sinne is so extreme if thou love GOD above all things thou must also above all things detest sinne take heed thou be not deceived by those who either extenuate or excuse it take heed that thou deceive not thy selfe with false and ungrounded reasons for if sinne either committed by thy selfe or others displease thee not thou lovest not GOD and if thou lovest not GOD thou shalt perish everlastingly Againe if thou be not unthankfull to Christ how much dost thou conceive thou owest to his love to his labours his blood his death who washed thee from thy sinne and reconciled thee to his Father and shall it sâ—eme grievous to thee hereafter to suffer any thing for him either in his grace and favour and with his grace to resist sinne even to the losse of thy blood and life Lastly if thou canst not endure the fire everlasting in hell patiently neither oughtest thou patiently to endure sinne but flee from it as from a Serpent and let it be thy resolution to joyne thy greatest hate to sinne with thy greatest love to GOD. But fire destroyes not but makes Gold Silver and Iewels more perfect and shining because as S. Paul in the place before cited declares that those mettalls signifie good works and perfect which are allow'd and aprov'd by the fire of Gods judgment and shall receive their reward Those workes GOD ratifies for good because they are his guifts and St. Augustine saith he crowns his own guifts whensoever he crowns our deserts for they are perform'd by his command and by his aid he bestowing power upon us and enabling us to doe them and himselfe directing us by the Law and rules which he hath made and appointed And indeed gold denotes unto us the workes of love and charity and how is it possible but the workes of love should exceedingly please GOD who is love it selfe Silver signifies the workes of wisedome namely of those which
Christ and the thiefe confessed him This is true but could not Christ have looked upon Iudas as he did upon Peter and could he not infused that effectuall grace into Iudas which can be rejected by no hard heart and could not Christ have given faith and repentance to both the theeves as to one or have suffered both of them to have died in their sinnes as he did one of them and who can give a reason why GOD translated some least wickednesse should alter their understanding as is said of Henoch and not others but suffers them to become evill of good men and to finish their dayes in wickednes What shall we say of whole Countries whereof some are sooner some later called to that faith without which none can be saved He that hath not beleeved is already judged saith the Apostle and againe Whosoever calleth upon the name of the Lord shal be saved But how shall they call on him in whom they have not beleeeved c These are Gods highest secrets and most deepe which he hath placed in the abysse of his wisedome which the Apostle admires but opens not when he cryes out O the depth both of the wisedome and knowledge of GOD how unsearchable are his judgements and his wayespast finding out Who knew the minde of the LORD or who was his counsailor This onely we may knâ—w that there is no iniquity with GOD and that in the last day there will be none but must confesse and say Just art thou ô LORD and just are thy judgements and this use we may make of this secret that no wicked man despaire nor any good man presume of his salvation and that good men distrust not of any mans conversion let them pray for all and be sollicitous of their salvation and on the other side let none though good and holy grow insolent considering no man knowes what to morrow may produce but let every man workâ— his owne salvation infeare and trembling Now all these things considered strive by good workes to make thy vocation and election sure saith St. Peter and what these workes are the Apostle St. Iohn tells us Little children let us not love in word neither in tongue onely but in deed and truth It is love without which no man is saved and with which no man is condemned and love is shewed by workes when any man neither out of hope of temporall retribution or out of extraordinary and inordinate affection to the creature but in hearty and pure love to GOD and his neighbour either gives almes liberally to the poore or forgives injuries to his enemies and that not onely for a time but he which endureth to the end shal be saved Therefore the Apostle saith Give diligence that is be earnest anxious and sollicitous in the businesse or worke of eternallsalvation And truly if there be any probable argument of Gods election this is it when a man being more sollicitâ—â—s of his salvation then of any other thing ceaseth not to pray to GOD for the guifts of true repentance true humility perfect love and charity and perseverance to the end and not onely satisfied with prayer but strives to seeke the Kingdome of heaven and the righteousnesse thereof and to findâ— it with all his force and strength DEGREE XIIII By the Consideration of the Mercy of GOD. THe spirit of GOD in holy Scripture doth wonderfully excell this mercy of His insomuch as he preferres it before all the rest of His workes for so saith the Psalmist The LORD is loving unto every man and his Mercy is over all his works We shall easily see the magnitude of this divine attribute if we diligently consider it according to the 4. former dimensions The latitude of Gods mercy consists in this that GOD and GOD alone can deliver us out of all our miseries and this he doth not for any benefit to himselfe but out of the love which he hath and beareth to all things created It is true that created things can take away some miseries as bread hunger drinke thirst clothes nakednes and knowledge ignorance and so of the rest but no creature can take away all miseries besides there are some miseries which are so much the more grievous by how much the more hidden and inward and none can give ease or remedy to these but GOD onely such are the snares of the Devils who are many most subtill powerfull and ill affected to us such also are the errors and blindnesse of the minde and of an erroneous conscience which we see not in our selves so that oftimes we seeme to be very well touching the inward man when as indeed we are in a miserable plight and dangerous and who can deliver us from these maladies but onely the Almighty Physician And therfore when GOD heales us of these infirmities and we have no feeling of the cure we never returne him thanks and so it may truly be said of us that GOD is good to the unthankfull and evill for we scarce know the least part of Gods benefits neither give him thankes for them with that devotion and humility we ought Againe created things not onely take not away all miseries but some few and those they take not away from all men but from a few It is GOD onely that can deliver all men from all miseries and although he doe not take all from all men yet there is no man who participates not of some mercy of God for as King David saith The earth is full of the goodnesse of the LORD and as our Church in the Liturgy saith O GOD whose nature and property is ever to have mercy because it belongs to him to take away misery who wanteth misery and to him onely it appertaines to free all men from all misery that onely is free himselfe from all misery and who is he but onely GOD who is pure act and the chiefe good and from whose essence proceeds all blessednesse O that thou couldst but attaine by thy thoughts what a life is that of GOD thy Father which is elevated above all misery and is pure and altogether happinesse it selfe how wouldst thou desire to be lodged in his brest that it might be said of thee There shall no evill happen unto thee neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling But thou wilt say If GOD can take away all miseries from all men why doth he not so being a Father of mercies that is a most mercifull Father whence comes it that so many miseries abound in mankinde under the goverment of a Father of mercies why is it rather said The earth is full of the mercy of the LORD then the earth is full of misery It is true that GOD can take away these and all miseries but he onely removeth those which his wisdome thinketh fit to be taken away And the wisedome of GOD thinketh it not expedient for men themselves to take them
Essentia Dej Omnipotentia Dej Iustitia Dej Sapientia Theorica Dej Sapientia practica Dej Misericordia Dej Angeli Aêr SOL. Luna Stellae Ignis Aqua Mundus Terra Anima Hominis Homo IACOB'S LADDER Consisting of fifteene Degrees or Ascents to the knowledge of GOD by the Consideration of His Creatures and Attributes 1638. LONDON Printed for Henry Seile and are to be sould at the Tigres-head against St. Dunstans Church in fleetstreet Will Marshall sculpâ—it To the Christian READER IT is the receivedopinion of all that of all the creatures which GOD the Soveraigne Creator made from the beginning â—one was created by him more noble and excellent next to the Angels then Man and that for his sake all things were made as Heaven Earth Sea and all that â—re in them yea that the Angelsâ—hemselves â—hemselves and Principalitiesâ—ere â—ere ordayned to be subservient â—o him But Man being so richly enâ—owed and tyed to his maker in â—o greater bonds then benefits and blessings became rebellious and unthankfull to his so liber all Benefactor and not duely understanding his dignity and excellencie nor satisfied with such extraordinary favours out of those things from which he should have taken occasion to love GOD his Maker extracted that matter which produced his treason and affecting no lesse then a Deity rebelled and brake the commands of his Creator for which he was justly expelled Paradise and deprived of that honour which he formerly possessed and is now compared to the Beasts that perish This was a wofull Metamorphosis an unhappy change from the best to become the worst oâ— Creatures and that so sodainly Nor was this the worst of hiâ— misery for by his fall the wholâ— masse of Man-kinde his posterity became so corrupt as thaâ— the Devill excepted Man waâ— the most miserable of all other creatures by nature fraile and weake headlong in affections tormented with cares and anxieties mad in desires blind in understanding weake in will corrupt in memory obnoxious to all diseases miseries and troubles and lastly liable to infernall punishment and not without just cause for he which became a companion with the Devill in sinne was worthily made his associate in sufferings Now Man being thus wretched and miserable by incurring GODS high displeasure it pleased the same most good and gracious GOD not perpetually to looke upon the injury done to his high Majestie but to compassionate his misery and rather pittying his error then desiring revenge determined to repayre his wofull condition and to reconcile him to himselfe But what tongue or pen is sufficient to expresse the manner of this attonement Nay who can conceive what it was that wrought this reconciliation Surely nothing but his owne meore compassion and that by such a way as may breed astonishment in the most sencelesse heart By His Sonne His onely Sonne CHRIST JESUS GOD and Man brought he this great worke to passe who made such a peace betweene thâ— Creator and Man such an agreement or pacification as that he not onely pardoned the offence but received the delinquent to grace making him one and the same with himselfe by the bond of love And as we are infinitely indebted for this high benefit in generall so are we no lesse obliged to him for the manner of our Redemption then for the Redemption it selfe For there were many wayes whereby he might have saved us without labour without price yet so wonderfull was his bounty to us so great his goodnesse and love that he would have it wrought by the infinite paines and sorrowes even to the losse of the dearest blood and life of His onely Sonne and that by the shamefull Death of the Crosse and all this I say for the love of us without benefit to himselfe For as it is in Job What profiteth it thee and what avayleth it me if thou sinnest If thou sinnest what canst thou doe unto him If thou be righteous what givest thou unto him or what receiveth he at thy hands that is What prejudice could GOD receive by our evill or what benefit by our good For he is nothing the worse if men blaspheme him nor the better if they praise him It was His love then to us and nothing else which repayred our miserable condition This love therefore requires love againe the love of the Creator the love of the Creature Certainly in diverse respects we are bound infinitely to him For our Creation for our Preservation for our Redemption and indeed for so many inestimable blessings as cannot be conceived much lesse expressed What great matter then is required of us when we are onely injoyned to require this love with love We should and ought to imitate a fertile Field or piece of ground which renders much more seed then it receiveth but GOD helpe us poore miserable creatures if this were exacted of us we should come farre short of this retribution Why yet if for the infirmity of our natures while we live in this pilgrimage we cannot doe that which we should yet let uâ— doe what we may Without question love him we may nay love him we must if ever we intend to take the benefit of his Sonnes passion But thou wiltsay how shall I love him that I know not if I knew him I would love him with all my heart with all the affections of my mind and soule Surely this is no difficult worke For GOD himselfe hath made us capable of the knowledge of him and therfore he knowing our capacity sufficient for that act hath commanded our performance of it and that by seeking him No man can come to the knowledge of anything but by paines and labour and the more sublime that is of which we are ignorant the more paines the more labour it will cost before the knowledge of it be attained And certainely GOD being the most excellent object the worthiest of all other our knowledge let us not spare any paines any travaile to possesse our selves of it that knowing we may love him which is a duty chiefly expected from us for all the unvaluable benefits we have and continually doe receive from him Now that in the search or seeking after this knowledge We grope not as blind men of whom holy Iob and the Prophet Esay speake nor that we gaze not gazing being an Act so contrary to seeking as that it was not onely condemned by the Angels in the Acts of the Apostles but forbidden by GOD himselfe gazers being for the most part a sort of people desirous onely of new fangles and novelties and no setled searchers or seekers It will not be amisse by prescribing some rules of seeking to take away filmes from the eyes of the former and to strengthen the sight of the other that so they may be the better enabled to proceed in their search But before we come to the directions we will looke a little into the necessity of this duty that we may understand that a seeking and
which are stronger in many beasts then in Man but by the mind indued with reason and will that is not by that which he hath common and alike with them but by that by which he is distinguished from them and made like unto GOD. Rowse thy selfe then and frame thy selfe after thy patterne and consider that all the good thou receivest by this Image consists in the likenesse and resemblance thou hast to it Thy patterne is GOD whose beauty is infinite Light in whom there is no darknes whose beauty the Sun and Moone admire And that thou mayst the more easilie imitate thy patterne on which thy whole perfection profit honour joy rest and indeed thy whole good depends conceive the beauty of GOD thy patterne to consist in wisdome and holinesse For as the beauty of the body ariseth from the just proportion of the members and sweetnesse of the colour so in the spirituall substance the pleasantnesse of the colour is the light of wisedome the proportion of the members is sanctitie and righteousnesse not any particular justice but universall which conteyneth all other vertues and therfore that may be said to be the most beautifull spirit whose mind shineth with the light of wisedome and whose will hath the greatest measure of perfect righteousnesse GOD then thy patterne is that Wisdome and that Righteousnes and in respect thereof is beauty it selfe And because both these Attributes of GOD are specified in Scripture under the name of sanctity it is that the Angels in Esay cry unto him Holy Holy Holy is the LORD GOD of Hosts and GOD himselfe cryeth to his Images Be holy for I am holy and our Saviour in the Gospell Bee perfect as your Father which in Heaven is perfect Wherefore if thou desirest to be like thy patterne thou must love Wisedome and Righteousnesse above all things True Wisedome which is one part of spirituall beauty is to judge of all things according to the supreme cause and the most high cause is the divine will of GOD or his Law which manifests his will to Man If therefore thou love Wisedome thou must not lend thine eare to what the Law of the flesh shall dictate what thy sences shall judge to be good what the World shall approve of what any Man shall insinuate to thee but stop thine eares to them and marke onely what the will of GOD thy LORD is and account that most profitable and above all things to be desired which shal be most conformable to his will and Law This is the wisedome of the Saints of which the wiseman wrote I loved her above health and beauty and purposed to take her for my light for her light cannot be quenched All good things therefore came to me with her The other part of this spirituall beauty is Righteousnesse and this containes all vertues which adorne and beauâ—ifie the will the chiefe whereof is love the mother of all graces which not onely comprehends all the rest as St. Augustine speaketh but indeed as St. Paul affirmeth is the fulfilling of the Law and on the other side He which keepeth his word that is his Law in him is the love of GOD perfect indeed as St. John They therefore which would be made like to the Divine patterne must hearken to and obey this counsaile Be ye followers of GOD as deare children and walke in love The Son is the image of his Father and all the good which ariseth from this image as is before said is to become like to the patterne Oh if thou wouldst fully understand these things and that being made like unto GOD by the beauty of true Wisedome and Righteousnesse thou much pleasest him what peace wouldst thou enjoy how joyfull wouldst thou be how easily wouldst thou despise all the blandishments of this deceitfull world Againe if thou wouldst consider how highly GOD wil be displeased when he shall see his image wanting the light of wisedome and the robe of Righteousnesse to be polluted defiled and darkned and that Man being placed in such honour as to be like to GOD to be now compared to the beasts that perish certainely thou wouldst be amazed and tremble neither wouldst thou be at rest untill by floods of teares springing from bitter contrition thou shouldst wash away all thy spots and steynes and returne to the likenes of thy most beautifull patterne But because in the meane time while thou walkest away and wandrest from GOD and that thou walkest by Faith and not by sight thou continually wantest his aid and assistance aswell that thou mayst abide in that likenes which thou hast as that daily thou mayst become more like that is more beautifull and clearer mourne heartily and pray to him and say O holy Lord and most mercifull whom it hath pleased to make this my soule thine Image make perfect I beseech thee thy worke increase my Wisedome increase my Righteousnesse hide my soule in the secret place of thy Tabernacle that it be not defiled with the mud of carnall concupiscence nor with the smoke of secular honour nor the dust of earthly thoughts The last quaere remaines to be resolv'd which is Whereto or for what Man was brought into the World The end of his Creation This end was no other then GOD himselfe But because there is a double end Internall or Inward and Externall or Outward We will consider them apart briefly The Internall or Inward end is the perfect state or condition of any thing to which the same may attaine as for example a Palace or any other structure is then and not till then accounted perfect and finished when nothing is wanting which is requisite to the building of it So the inward end of a tree is the perfect state thereof and then it is said to have attayned his end when after the full growth it beareth fruit A Man therefore who is created to a most high end may then be said to have obtayned his end when his mind shall see God as he is and by seeing him shall know all things his will shall most ardently love and enjoy that chief good and happinesse and his body being becom immortall and impassible shall live in perpetuall peace and joy And because the essence of this finall beatitude is the vision of GOD by which we the Images of GOD shall come to a perfect state and perfect similitude with our divine patterne therefore it is that St John saith Now are we the Sons of GOD but yet it is not made manifest what we shall be and we know that when he shall be made manifest we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is Oh! if thou couldst imagine what this is that we shal be like him for we shall see him as he is how quickly would all the clouds of earthly desires be dispersed GOD is most blessed and therefore most blessed because he alwaies sees himselfe as he is and enjoyes
the LORD praise him and exalt him above all things for eveâ— Seeing then that all things after their manner praise the LORD with what affection oughtst thou to blesse and praise him for all the benefits which thou continually receivest whose hand is continually open to manifest his fatherly and most pure love to thee never ceasing to doe thee good from Heaven but continually providing in most plentifull manner for thee But all this is little in the sight of GOD thy LORD for it is hee which causeth that most noble root of love to sprout out and grow in thee For Love cometh not of the World but of GOD as Saint John speaketh And out of love as out of a Divine and Heavenly plant spring the most faire and sweet smelling flowers of holy thoughts the greene leaves of profitable words to salvation and the fruit of good workes by which GOD is glorified and our neighbours relieved Woe then to those who like foolish beasts covet to be filled with the fruits of the Earth gather them greedily and hide them never thinking of the Author of them nor praising him for them whose soules are like to the Earth which GOD cursed bringing forth onely thornes and thistles for what doe they thinke upon but onely Fornication Adultery Homicide Sacriledge Thefts Treasons and the like what doe they speake but Blasphemies Perjuries Curses Contumelies false Testimonies Lyes and the like which they have learned of their Father the Devill And lastly what fruit bring they forth but those poysonous fruits which as we said they continually thinke and speake of even the workes of the flesh as they are called by the Apostle These are the thornes which first of all pricke them that bring them forth with most sharpe and bitter pricks of feares and cares then they pricke the fame of their neighbours with most grievous and irreparable losse But if thou beest the garden of that Heavenly Husbandman take heed that thornes and briers bee not found in thee and above all things cherish the Tree of love and the Lilly of chastity and the sweet Spikenard of humility and take heed that it never creepe into thee to think that these vertues and plants of grace be of thy selfe and not of GOD neither attribute the preservation and increase of the fruits of good workes to thy selfe but commit them to him and his care placing all thy strength wholly in him The third and last property of the Earth is that in the bowels of it are Mines of gold silver and pretious stones iron brasse and lead Yet we must understand that the Earth produceth not these things of its owne power but by GODS which thing hee himselfe affirmes by the mouth of the Prophet Aggee the Silver is mine and the gold is mine saith the LORD of Hosts O thou lover of mankinde hath it thus pleased thy goodnesse not onely to furnish Man with stones tymber brasse iron lead and other the like necessaries for the building of houses and ships and all other things expedient for his use but to bestow upon him gold silver and jewels for ornament also And if thou givest such things to Pilgrims on Earth oft times thine enemies and blasphemers of thy holy name what wilt thou bestow upon thy beloved who shall blesse thee and raigne with thee in Heaven Thou wilt not give them small pieces of gold or silver nor a few jewels and precious stones but that City of which Saint John speaketh in the Revelation That the building of the wall of it was of Jasper and the Citie was pure gold the foundations of the Citie wall were garnished with all manner of pretious stones and the twelve gates were twelve pearles Yet wee must not conceive that this high Citie Jerusalem the Heavenly was built indeed of gold silver or pearles as is described by Saint Iohn onely we are to know that the holy Spirit useth these speeches for our understanding that apprehend not greater nor better things But without all doubt much more excellent shall that Citie be which is the Citie of the Elect of GOD and â—urpasse in glory all the Cities in this world much more then a golden Citie adorned and beautified with Iewels doth exceed any Countrey Towne made of mud and straw Lift up then the eyes of thy mind to Heaven and consider of what value and estimation the things of Heaven are when as gold silver and jewells which are here so much accounted of are but as dust and straw compared with them and that these things are but corruptible and they incorruptible and eternall But if thou wouldst have them layd up for thee as treasures and become incorruptible in Heaven send them by bills of exchange as it were by the hands of the poore and thou shalt finde and receive them there againe For the truth cannot lye which saith Give to the poore and thou shalt have treasure in Heaven and againe Give almes make you bagges which waxe not old a treasure that can never faile in Heaven where no thiefe cometh neither moth corrupteth O the unbeliefe of Men deceitfull and lying Man promiseth ten for a hundred besides the principall and is beleeved and trusted and GOD which cannot lye promiseth to repay one hundred for one and eternall life to boot and the covetous wretch distrusteth and chooseth rather to hide his treasure where moth consumeth and theeves breake through and steale then to lay it up in Heaven where it is subject to no such casualties But tell me ô unhappy Man if these goods which thou hast gotten with much labour and hast kept with no lesse feare be neither stollen by theeves nor corrupted with moth or rust whose shall they be not thine certainly Experience teacheth us that the wealth of the covetous come commonly to prodigall heires which consume them with farre more speed then the covetous Fathers scraped them together yet in the mean time the sin of covetousnes remaineth and shall for ever and the worme of their conscience shall not die and the fire prepared for their reward never goeth out Therefore let the folly of others be thy instruction and give eare to thy Lord and Master preaching to thee Beware of covetousnesse for though a Man have abundance yet his life standeth not in his riches A covetous Man gathers together and keepes it thinking long to possesse it but it hapneth otherwise as it did to the rich man that filled his enlarged barnes in the Gospell and his wealth covetously heaped up begate such a worme as never will dye and kindled such a fire as never wil be quenched O thou unhappy miser wert thou so sollicitous to gather that which should prepare a fire in Hell wherein thou must continually burne Hearken to St. Iames Goe to you rich men weepe and howle for your miseries that shall come upon you Your riches are corrupt and your garments are moth eaten Your
satisfied with seeing nor the eare filled with hearing as saith the Preacher whatsoever is offered to man cannot satisfie his desire why because he is capable of infinite good and all created things are circumscribed within certaine limits But he whch beginneth to drinke this heavenly water in which all things are contained covets nor desires any thing more But of this hath beene formely spoken in the rest of the mind in God alone as its proper Center Fourthly Water joynes together and reduceth into one those things which one could not imagine would have beene so united As many graynes of wheate by the mixture of water make one loafe of bread and of many parts of the earth by the same mixture bricks and tiles are made But much easilier and with a stronger tye or band doth the water of the Holy Spirit bring to passe that many men become one heart and one soule as it was with the Primitive Christians in the Acts of the Apostles upon whom the holy Ghost descended This unity Christ himselfe going to his Father commended and foretold when he said I pray not for these alone but for them also which shall beleeve in me by their word that they may be all one as thou O Father art in me and I in thee that they may be also one in us and a little after that they may be one as we are one I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one To which unity the Apostle also exhorts endeavoring to keepe the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace There is one Body and one Spirit even as ye are called in one hope of your vocation O happy Vnion which makes many men to be one Body of Christ which is governed by one Head and to eate of one meate and drinke of one drinke and to live with one spirit and being joyned to God to be made one spirit with him What more can be desired by a servant then not onely to be partaker of all the goods of his Lord but also by an indissoluble bond of love to be made one with him And all this the grace of the Holy Spirit brings to passe as a living and quickning water when it is devoutly received into the heart and there kept with diligence and care Lastly Water asâ—â—nds and riseth as high as it falls low And because the Holy Spirit descends into earth from the highest heaven therefore in that man into whose heart it is received is made a well of water springing to eternall life as our Saviour said to the Samaritane woman Wherefore being thus instructed in the properties of this uncreate water let us thirst after it and say with groanes and sighs unutterable Lord give us of this water which may wash off all our staines coole the heat of our concupiscences appease and qualifie the thirst of our desires may make us one spirit with thee and raise us to the height of thy eternall mansion It was not without cause that the Sonne of God said If ye then being evill know to give good gifts to your children how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that aske it He saith not he will give you bread or apparell or wisdome or love or the Kingdome of heaven or eternall life but he saith He will give the Holy Spirit because in it are conteinâ—d all things Cease not then to put God daily in mind of his Sons promise and say to him with earnest affection and assured hope of obteining Holy Father I powre out my prayers unto thee not trusting in mine owne righteousnes but in the promise of thine onely begotten Sonne Make good therefore this promise of thy Sonne who glorified thee upon earth and was obedient to thee unto death even the death of the Crosse give to me that aske thy good Spirit give me the spirit of thy feare and love that I thy servant may feare nothing but offending thee and may love nothing but thee and my neighbour for thee Create in me a cleane heart O God and renew a right spirit within me Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy Holy Spirit from me Restore to me the joy of thy salvation and stablish me with thy free Spirit We come now to the resemblance which rivers or fountaines of water have with God and by it the mind may be lift up to contemplate the wonderfull and excellent work of the Creator For it is not without cause that the Scripture saith that God is a Well of life a Fountaine of Wisedome the Fountaine of living waters And that he is the very Fountaine of being may be gathered out of his owne words to Moses I am that I am and I am hath sent me unto you All which the Apostle seemes to comprehend in this speech In him we live and move and have our being In him we live as in a Fountaine of life in him wee move as in a Founteine of wisedome and in him wee have our being as in the Founteine of being A Founteine of water here with us hath this propertie that from it the flouds arise and whensoever they leave to flow immediately they dry up but the Founteine it selfe depends not upon the flouds because it receives no water from them but not onely hath water in it selfe but communicates with others This is a true resemblance of God and an Embleme of the Godhead for God is the very Founteine of being he receives no being from any thing but from him all things take their being because the essence of God is to be and his existence is his essence so that it cannot come to passe and it were blasphemie to think that God was not or will not be for ever Other things may be not be for a time because a being is not properly to their essence For example it is of the essence of man that he be a reasonable creature and therefore he cannot be a man not be a reasonable creature if it were of the essence of man to be it could not be otherwise but that he must be alwayes but because it is not of his essence to be therefore he may be not be God therefore â—s the onely Founteine of being because in his essence the act to be is alwayes included And these words signifie so much I am that I am that is I am the thing to be and receive not being from any but have it in my selfe to me onely it is proper that essence to me should be to be and hence also it comes that eternity immortality is proper to him onely as the Apostle speakes To the King everlasting immortall c and Who onely hath immortality All other things receive their being from God so that unlesse they alwayes depend on him and be preserved by a certaine influence
from him they presently leave to be and therefore the Apostle saith of him that he beareth up allthings by hiâ— mighty Word and unlesse heâ— should alwayes preserve anâ— uphold the creatures theâ— could no longer subsist or be Elevate thy mind then anâ— admire the goodnes of God who so lovingly and carefully preserves and supports all things having no need of them and no lesse wonder at and imitate the patience of thy Creator who is so kind to the unkind and evill as to susteine and help those which blaspheme him and preserve those who deserve to be reduced to nothing and be not unwilling to beare the infirmities of thy brethren nor to doe good to thine enemies But the eminency of the Fountaine of being consists not in this property alone that it receives its being of another Fountaine and communicates that being with other things for the waters of Fountaines and the waters of rivers with us are of the same kind and although the waters of fountaines receive not waters from other fountaines yet have they a cause of their being as vapors and the vapors have other causes till we come to the first cause which is God But God is not of the same kind with things created but differs in an infinite distance of dignity and excellency from them is truly and properly the Fountaine of being because not onely he taketh not his being from another Fountaine of being but is so farre from that as that hee knoweth no other cause at all The fountaine of created water as is said is derived not from another water yet from another cause the uncreate Fountaine of being hath nothing precedent dependeth of nothing wanteth nothing nothing can hurt it but all things depend upon it and hee can with one nod destroy all things created as the Machabee speaketh Wee may worthily admire this excellency this beginning without beginning this cause without cause infinite unlimited and absolutely necessary whereas all other things in comparison of this are but contingencies And therefore cleaveâ—o â—o this alone serve him onely delight in his love alone and despise all other things in reâ—pect of him at the least vexe not thy selfe with too much soâ—icitude about many matters â—eeing this one thing is necessaâ—y and is all sufficient for thee â—nd all other men and let it be â—ne chiefe care of thine never â—o fall from his grace and study to please him onely ever â—nd every where 3 Againe God is most truly â—alled the Fountaine of life â—ecause hee liveth and hath lifeâ—n â—n himselfe yea and is life eternall it selfe and all things that â—ive receive life from this Founâ—aine and that when hee ceaâ—eth to give them life when he taketh away their breath they die and are turned againe to their dust as the Prophet David speaketh To beget a thing like it selfe is the property of the living now God begot a Son most like to himselfe God begate God and the living the living For as the Father hath life in himselfe so likewise hath he given to the Sonne to have life in himselfe as St. John testifies and the Father hath life in himselfe because he is the Fountaine of life and receives no life from any other place and gave his Sonne to have life in himselfe the same life which he hath himselfe and by this it is that the Sonne is the Fountaine of life also yet so as the Fountaine of life from the Fountaine of life as hee is God of God light of light Who can expresse nay who can conceive what manner of life this life of God is and what manner of Fountaine of life that is from whence all things which live either in heaven or earth sucke small drops The life known to us in this our banishment is nothing els but an internall beginning of motion for those things are said by us to live which after any sort move themselves from whence it comes to passe that the warers in rivers by a kind of similitude are called living waters because they seeme to move stir of themselves those in ponds and pooles are called dead because they cannot move of themselves nor are stirred but by winds or some externall force It is thy God then which is onely he that most truely liveth and that is the author and Fountaine of life which God himselfe doth often beate and inculcate to us throughout the holy Scriptures As I live saith the Lord and the Prophets often repeate this The Lord liveth And God himselfe complaineth of his people in Jeremy They have forsaken me the Fountaine of living waters And yet he is not moved either by himselfe or any other I am the Lord saith he and am not changed and God is not as man that he should lye nor as the son of man that hee should be changed And if God begate a Sonne he begate him without changing or if hee see heare speake love pity judge all or any of these things he doth without changing and if he create preserve or on the contrary destroy dissolve and againe renew and alter yet hee worketh quietly and changeth without motion If you a ke how he liveth if hee move not or how liveth hee not if hee be the author and Fountaine of life it is easily answered It is absolutely sufficient to life if a living thing act of it selfe not being moved by another but life as it is for the most part in created things is an internall beginning of motion because things created are imperfect and want many things to perfect and finish the actions of life But God is infinite perfection and needeth nothing without himselfe because hee worketh of himselfe not moved by any other as needing no motion or change Againe things created need change to beget and to be begotten because they beget without themselves and things which generate must be changed from a not being to a being But God begets the Sonne within himselfe and produceth the Holy Ghost within himselfe neither need the Sonne or the Holy Ghost to be changed from a not being to a being because they receive that esse or being that ever was and that not in time but from eternitie Againe things created want the motion of augmentation because they are borne imperfect but God the Sonne is borne most perfect and God the Holy Ghost is breathed and produced most perfect Things created need alteration as divers qualities which they must necessarily get but God wants nothing because hee hath the essence of infinite perfection Things created need motion to place because they are not every where but God is whole every where Againe things created want many things to cause them to see heare speake and worke because though they have life yet it is imperfect and deficient but God needeth nothing without himselfe to see and heare all things to speake to all and to worke in all For he worketh all things in
divers offices ascend descend walke runne move feet armes and hands upwards and downwards every way neither doth the ayre which is diffused in all places any thing at all hinder them insomuch as if it were not of a corporeall but of a spirituall substance and nature nay indeed as if it were nothing at all Laftly the ayre hath a propertie serving for the benefit of Man that is it changeth it selfe into every forme and suffereth it selfe to be divided and as it were broken asunder to comply to the service and use of Man so that it seemeth to be given to him as a Master and instructor to him in humility patience and charity But that which should chiefly stirre up and kindle in thee the love of thy Creator is that the ayre doth represent the great sweetnesse and gentlenesse of thy maker to men For doe but recollect thy selfe and seriously consider his goodnesse thou shalt finde that thy GOD is ever present with his creatures ever working with them and of such infinite gentlenesse that he accommodates his working to the severall condition and nature of them all as if he should say with the Apostle I am made all things to all men that I might by all meanes save some hee worketh together with necessary workes that they may worke necessarily with voluntary that they may worke voluntarily with those which are free in their working that they may worke freely The fire he moveth stirreth and helpeth so that it may ascend the earth that it may tend downeward the ayre that it may glide by declive and bending places the ayre that it may passe which way soever it be driven starres that they may keepe alwayes in a circular motion herbs furittrees and plants that they may bring forth fruit according to their natures creatures upon earth in the water and the ayre to doe those things which are agreeable to their nature And if the goodnesse of GOD be so eminent in cooperating with his creatures in the worke of nature what may we thinke it to be in the workes of grace He hath given man free power of his will but so as that he will governe him by his command terrifie him with destruction and allure him by his bounty He will have all men saved but so as that he will also have them to be willing and therefore he sweetly prevents excites leads and guides them in such manner as is most admirable These are the meanes which the wisedome of GOD hath found out for the good of Man of which the Prophet Esay speaketh in these words Praise the LORD call upon his Name declare his Workes adinventiones ejus say some among the people And certainely the wicked sometimes hee terrifies exceedingly sometimes perswades them lovingly sometime admonisheth them mildly and sometime correcteth them mercifully as he in his wisedome thinkes expedient and agreeable to their conditions and inclinations Observe how tenderly he dealt with the first transgressor Adam saith GOD where art thou his answer was I heard thy voyce in the Garden and was afraid because I was naked I hid my selfe the LORD replyed with the like meekenesse Who told thee that thou wast naked Hast thou eaten of the tree whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldst not eate and by this gentle correction or insinuation Adam without doubt repented as the Scripture saith Shee that is the Wisedome of GOD preserved the first Father of the World that was formed and kept him when he was created alone and brought him out of his offence Observe againe how gently and sweetly he by his Angell in the Booke of the Iudges rebuked and provoked the people of Israel to repentance What shall I say of the Prophets who in all their sermons as we may call them teach this and beate upon this that GOD desires not the death of a sinner but rather that he should returne and live They say saith GOD by Ieremie if a man put away his Wife and she goe from him and become another mans shall he returne unto her againe shall not the land be greatly polluted But thou hast played the harlot with many lovers Yet returne againe to me saith the LORD And by Ezechiel Thus ye speake and say If our transgressions and sinnes be upon us and we are consumed because of them how should we then live Say unto them as I live saith the LORD I desire not the death of the wicked but that the wicked turne from his way and live turne you turne you from your evill wayes for why will ye die ô ye house of Israel But to let passe the wicked and consider how great GODS more then Fatherly meeknesse and gentlenes is to those that feare and hope in him Holy David is desirous to expresse it Looke how high the Heaven is in comparison of the Earth so great is his mercy also toward them that feare him And Like as a Father pittyeth his owne Children so is the LORD mercifull to them that feare him And The mercifull goodnesse of the LORD endureth for ever and ever upon them that feare him And in another Psalme Taste and see how gracious the LORD is blessed is the man that trusteth in him and againe Truely GOD is loving unto Israel even to such as are of a cleane heart And againe GOD saith by Esay Can a woman forget her childe and not have compassion on the sonne of her wombe though they should forget yet will not I forget thee and Ieremy in his lamentations The LORD is good to them that trust in him and to the soule that seeketh him Now if I would adde what the Apostles testifie of his Fatherly tendernesse to the Godly I should never make an end Take one place for all the rest of St. Paul Blessed be GOD even the Father of our LORD JESUS CHRIST the Father of mercies and Gâ—D of all comfort which comforteth us in all our tribulation c. he saith not that GOD is our comfort barely but of all comfort and not that hee comforteth us in some but in all our tribulation And to end this point take the words of St. Prosper Grace saith he exceeds all justification by perswading in exhortations admonishing by examples terrifying by dangers provoking by miracles giving understanding inspiring counsaile enlightning the heart and endowing it with affections of Faith c. If then thy Creator bee so loving and kind to his servants and with such incredible patience and meeknesse beares with sinners for their conversions comforting the just that they may proceede and grow in righteousnesse and holinesse oughtest not thou to beare the infirmities of thy neighbour to gaine all men to thy GOD Consider with thy selfe to what sublimitie and excellencie the Apostle exhorts thee when he saith Be yee followers of GOD as deare Children And walke in love even as CHRIST hath loved us c. Imitate the
and the ordinance of love 1. The light of wisedome which makes a man truly wise and which no man can use amisse and bringeth us to the fountaine of wisedome scituate in the heavenly Countrey is that which teacheth the contempt of temporall things and to esteeme highly of spirituall it teacheth not to trust in uncertaine riches but in the living GOD. It teacheth us not to account this exile of ours as our Countrey nor to love our pilgrimage but to endure it Lastly it teacheth to live here in patience being full of perills and tentations and to dye in desire because Blessed are the dead that dye in the LORD 2. The Ordinance of true love what is it but to love GOD without end without measure he being the end of all our desires to love other things in such measure and meane as will be sufficient to bring us to our end that is beatitude Surely there is not any man that in the cure of his body inverts order so that he loves his health but with an ordinary measure and a bitter potion without all measure seeing that he knoweth that the first is the end and the latter but the meanes How then cometh it to passe that so many that would be accounted wise men confine themselves to no moderation in heaping up riches in hunting after the pleasures of the flesh and attayning to the degrees of honour as it these things were the end of mans heart and are contented to streighten themselves in loving GOD and seeking after eternall fâ—licity as if these were but the meanes to the end and not the end of all meanes without doubt this is the cause that they have the wisedome of this world and not that which is from above and cometh from the Father of lights and that they have not ordinate love nor that which is true love but are full of inordinate desires which are not of the Father but of the World Wherefore while thou travailest from thy Countrey and aâ—t among enemies which oppose true wisedome and love and suggest craft for wisedome and inordinate desires for love make thy moane and bewaile thy case to the Father of lights desiring him earnestly to give thee these good and perfect guifts of true wisedome and regulated love and to inflame thy hearâ— with them so that being fitted with them thou mayest so runne the wayes of his Commandements without stumbling that thou mayst come to that Countrey where thou mayst drinke of the pure fountaine of wisedome and live with the pure milke of love 2. I come now to the time of the night wherein the heaven doth frame and erect one step for us to ascend to GOD by the Moone and Starres for so speaketh David I will consider the heavens the worke of thy fingers the Moone and the Starres which thou hast ordayned If we could see heaven it selfe the Prophet had not said by way of explication of that which he had set down before The Moon and the Starres which thou hast ordayned and truely if our sences could pierce to heaven it selfe or that we could finde out the nature and qualities of it by any certaine reason without doubt we should have an excellent degree of ascent to GOD thereby We know that there have been some who out of the motion of the Starres have defined the nature of heaven to be a quintessence simple incorruptible and perpetually moving in its Orbe And that there are others who will have heaven to be the Element of fire that is not moved in its Orbe neither is incorruptible according to its parts but it is not our intent to looke after these opinions but to seeke out the certaine knowledge and Doctrine of Faith thereby to raise an ascent to GOD. The Moone hath two properties which may fitly serve to this purpose I The first is the neerer it approacheth to the Sun the more it shineth and is enlightned in its upper part towards heaven being darkned at the same time in the lower part of it towards the earth and when it is wholly subject to the Sun and is in full conjunction with it it is altogether light towards heaven and darke towards the earth On the other side when it is in opposition to the Sun it is seen cleare of the earths inhabitants and hath no light in the upper part towards heaven This pâ—operty of the Moone may be a good document or example to us mortalls to make us sollicitous of our neere conjunction to the true Father of lights GOD himselfe The Moone signifieth Man and the Sun GOD when the Moone is in opposition to the Sun then by the borrowâ—d light from the Sun it onely shines and lookes towards earth and after a sort turnes its back to heaven whereby it shewes beautifull to the Inhabitants of the earth and most deformed to the Citizens of heaven So every mortallâ—hat â—hat goes farre from GOD as the Prodigall which went into a farre Countrey abuseth that light of reason which he received from the Father of lights onely to respect the earth and forgetting GOD thinkes onely upon the earth onely loves it and is wholly taken up with desire of the goods thereof for which by the children of this generation they are esteemed wife and happy but by the heavenly inhabitants they are accounted poore naked blind deformed wretched and miserable On the contrary when the Moone is in conjunction with the Sun and is perfectly subject to it it shineth wholly on the upper part respecteth heaven onely turning its backe to men vanishing cleane from their sight So is it with the wicked when he begins to leave his wickednes and by his full conversion is become truly subject to GOD the true Sun of the souâ—e in humility and is joyned to him in love then he fulfills that which the Apostle warneth he seeketh those things which are above and savours of heavenly not earthly things and then is he despised by fooles and accounted by them as if he were dead but indeed he is dead to the World and his life is hidden with Christ in GOD and When Christ his life shall appeare then shall he also appeare with him in glory And this is the cause as St. Augustine observes why the Passeover aswell in the old Law as in the new could not rightly be kept but after the full Moon that is when the Moon which in the full is in opposition to the Sun begins to returne to the conjunction with it to shew that man in opposition to GOD by sinne should begin to be converted to him and to hasten to the union and grace of GOD by the merits of JESUS CHRIST Therefore if thou find thy selfe by the assistance of Gods grace to be subject to the Father of lights by true humility and to be joyned with him by ardent love doe not imitate fooles who are changed as the Moone but follow the wise who continue unchanged as the Sun for the Moone
and say to GOD with the Prophet Thou hast beene my helper forsake me not and speake to him not out of custome but heartily againe and againe Thou art my helper and redeemer O LORD make no long tarrying Mans soule hath also a rationall will which not onely can desire good things present particular and corporall such as are proper to beasts to covet but also good things absent generall and spirituall which are demonstrated by faith or reason and indeed GOD himselfe which is the chiefe and infinite good And this is it which makes a Man capable of great vertues especially of love the chiefe of all other and the fâ—â—â—taine from whence all good guists are derived and which joyneth Man to GOD in so strong a tye that GOD shall remaine in him and he in GOD For GOD is love and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him But if this be so great a happines of the created will how great will that happinesse be with which the uncreated will is replenished The will of God is onely capable of infinite love where with the infinite goodnes of God is worthy to be beloved Neither doth this will want vertues nor hath it need to bee directed by the understanding for Gods will and understanding are both but one as his wisedome and love are one and the same thing in him Besides Mans soule is in a humane body but farre otherwise then the soules of bruire beasts are in their bodies for the soules of bruits are materiall and extended through all parts of their bodies so that part of it is in part and all in the whole body But Mans soule which is an indivisible spirit is after an admirable manner all in the whole and all in every part of the body and whereas it fills the whole body yet it occupies no speciall place in it neither increaseth it as the body encreaseth but only begins to be where formerly it was not and if a member of the body bee cut off or wither the soule is not lessened or made dry by it but leaves to be in that member without any may me or impayring This is a true mirrour of Gods existencie in things created for God is an indivisible spirit yet fills the whole world and all the parts of it nor occupies it any one place alone but is all in the whole world and all in every part of it and when a new Creature is made God begins to bee in it and yet is not moved and when any Creature perisheth or dyeth God dyes not but onely leaves to bee there and yet changeth not his place And therefore in these things God and the soule of man agree but God is much more excellent then the soule for the soule to be in a body to rule and stirre it must of necessity have a forme of a body made for it and to be so joyned to it that of the soule and body a man may bee made God needes not the forme or soule of a world nor that of him and the world one compounded substance should bee made but of his owne immensitie he hath this preheminence to bee every where of his indivisible unitie to bee all every where of his omnipotence to governe move and sustaine all things Againe the soule of man though it bee said to be in the whole body yet properly it is not but in the living or animate parts of it and therfore is not in the humors in the hayre nailes dry or dead members God absolutely is in all things not onely corporall but spirituall nor can it be that there should be any thing in which God is not Lastly it is not a soule but in it's owne body and that a streight and small one wherein all the parts are tyed together for if any part as is said be severed from the other in that part the soule cannot be But God is all in this universe of things though it be great and the parts thereof not tyed or joyned together though they be neere one another and if there were more worlds God would be in them all to which purpose it is said Heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot conteine thee for if there were other heavens and another earth created or more heavens and earths without number God would fill them all and where he were not nothing would be at all Againe mans soule hath in it though obscure the Image of the most holy Trinitie aswell in that it hath a fruitfull memorie power to understand and power to love as also because the mind thereof by understanding formes a certaine word and from the mind and word proceeds love because that which is knowne by the mind and represented by the word is presently as it is good loved and desired by the will But after a much higher and diviner manner God the Father begets God the Word the Father and the Word breath God the Holy Spirit who is the living love and the living fountaine of all chast love And in this respect the mystery of the Trinitâ—e transcends the naturall meanes of knowing nor can a learned Philosopher come to the knowledge of this without a supernaturall light for the soule of man produceth a word and a love which are not substances but accidents and in that regard are not Persons but GOD the Father begets to himselfe the Consubstantiall Word and the Father and the Word breath the Holy Spirit consubstantiall likewise to them both whereby it is that the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost are rightly and worthily called three Persons The soule of Man also produceth a Word which is of no long continuance and the will bringeth forth a love which lasteth not long but GOD the Father begets the eternall Word and the Father and Word breath the eternall Holy Spirit nor can GOD be without his Word and Spirit Againe Mans soule by one word represents but one thing and therefore multiplyeth words not onely of the mind but of the mouth and mans will must produce many acts of love if it will love many things But GOD by one Word speaketh all true things and with one act of love loves all good things 10 Lastly the soule of Man while it is in the body hath this property that though it be not seene heard nor moved and is hardly conceived to be in it and that leaving it the body seemes to want nothing it had before yet it is that which causeth all good to the body sense motion speech subsistence beauty and strength for what is the cause that while a man liveth hee seeth heareth talketh walketh and is strong and beautifull nothing but because he hath a soule in him and why cannot a man see nor heare nor speake but lies deformed unprofitable and unserviceable after hee is dead but that his soule is departed from him from whence all these benefits and good things were derived to him So thy GOD whilst
fight with an armie and overcome and kill at one time 185000. as in the case of the Assyrian army If then an Angell can doe these things what can the LORD of Angels doe Certainly he which made all things of nothing can againe reduce all things to nothing A mans mind also by the Art of painting and graving with labour and industry can make mens counterfeits and represent them so to the life that they may be thought to live and breath the Angels without labour hands or instruments in a moment of time can so apt and fit to themselves a body out of the elements that by wisemen it shal be conceived to be a humane body that shall walke speake eate drinke be touched felt and washed So Abraham prepared meat for the Angels and washed their feet and his nephew Lot received Angels as pilgrimes into his house and the Angel Raphael accompanied young Tobias many dayes walking speaking eating and drinking as if he had beene a true and reall man yet he being to leave him said I seemed to eate and drinke with you but I did neither eate nor drinke but you did see a vision and presently vanisht out of their sight Certainely it is a great and admirable power to assume a body presently which shall seeme to differ nothâ—ng from a humane and living body and to dissolve it at pleasure as sodainely so that no signe of it shall remaine Now if the power of Angels be so great and wonderfull how great is the power of the Creator of Angels who hath given this and what power he pleaseth As the knowledge of Angels and men being compared with the knowledge of GOD is but ignorance and as the righteousnesse of Angels and men compared with the righteousnesse of GOD is unrighteousnesse so all the power of Angels and men compared with the power of GOD is weaknesse and therefore GOD is truely called onely wise onely good and onely mighty 4. Lastly if we consider the place of Angels and the place of men we shall finde also in this respect that man or the soule of man is not onely little lesse but much lesse the Angels For GOD hath given to the soule of man a place in earth but to the Angels a place in heaven in his owne Palace All the whole heavens are the Lords the earth hath he given to the sons of men Hence it is that our Saviour calleth them the Angels of heaven and in anothâ—r place Joy shal be in heaven for one sinner that converteth and a little after There is joy in the presence of the Angels of GOD for one sinner that converteth Againe GOD hath so bound the soule to the body as that without the one the other cannot move but GOD hath not tyed the Angels to any body but hath given them power to passe from heaven to earth and from the earth to heaven whensoever they will and that speedily so that an Angel bâ— the dignity of his nature being neerest to GOD by his subtility also after a sort imitateth the omnipresence of GOD. For GOD is alwaies every where by the immensity of his nature neither needs hee change of place seeing he is every where and an Angell by the swiftnesse of his motion so easily passeth from place to place and exhibits his presence so easily to all places that in a manner he seemes to be every where If then thou wilt give eare to the LORD of Angels there will be no cause why thou shouldst envie the Angels or their high place or swift motion for not onely thy soule when it shal be loosened from thy body shall be equall with them but also when thy soule shall returne to thy body which Christ shall fashion like to his glorious body with that body thou shalt possesse heaven as thy proper mansion and that body being made a spirituall body it shal be there continually without labour and wearinesse where thy soule will and commands it Thy Lord God will not faile thee in his promise In my Fathers house are many mansions and I goe to prepare a place for you and I will that they be with me where I am c. but where Christ is and what body he hath we know for we confesse every day and say the third day he arose from the dead and ascended into heaven and we know also that his body after his resurrection used to enter to his Disciples the doores being shut and when he left them it was not by walking away but vanishing that is he conveighed his body with so speedy motion from place to place as if he had bin a spirit and not a body But if thou aspire to that place it is necessary that thou first conforme thy selfe to him here thy body to the body of Christs humility and so it will come to passe that Christ will fashion thy body like to his glorious body Againe thou must follow his footsteps for Christ suffered for you leaving you an eâ—sample that you should follow his steps and what are they St. Peter answers in the next verses That did no sinne neither was there any guile found in his mouth Who when he was reviled reviled not againe when he suffered he threatned not These are the two steps to tract him by from which if thou errest thou hast lost thy way and shalt never come to thy Countrey 1 Thou must doe no evill but suffer and 2dly Thou must doe good and expect none here againe and which is the summe of all thou must love thy neighbour for Gods sake with the true and pure love of amity and not of concupiscence freely not for the retribution of man being contented with Gods recompence which exceedeth all proportion and measure 2 We come now to speake of the dignity of Angels according to grace And in this respect it may be truly also said that God made man little lesse and more then little lesse then the Angels For in the beginning GOD so created every Angell that together with their nature he infused grace as St. Augustine testifies Sooneafter they which cleaved to GOD by love were crowned with glory and blessednesse and they which rebelled and were reprobate fell Therefore their pilgrimage must needs be short and their mansion everlasting if we may call that short distance betweene their creaation and blessednesse a pilgrimage We men in our creation received also grace with our nature but it was in our first parent not in our selves and therefore he falling we all fell In whom all men have sinned as St. Paul saith although by the Mediator of GOD and Man CHRIST IESUS we are reconciled to GOD yet we are condemned to a long banishment and while we are in this body we wander from God for we walke by Faith and not by sight and that which much grieveth good men and those who desire their Countrey is that in the meane time they
eternall life is by poverty rather then by abundance Our heavenly Master doth not deceive us when he saith Verily I say unto you that a rich man can hardly enter into the Kingdome of heaven and againe Blessed be ye poore for yours is the Kingdome of GOD and Wâ—e unto you rich for you have received your consolation nor doth the Apostle deceive us when he saith They that wil be rich fall into tentations and snares and into many foolish and noy some lusts which drâ—wne men in perdition and destruction and that which Christ and the Apostles taught in word they confirmed by example Our Saviour said of himselfe The foxes have holes and the birds of heaven have nests but the Son of man hath not whereon to lay his head and the Apostle of himselfe and his fellow Apostles saith Vnto this houre we both hunger and thirst and are naked and are buffetted and have no certaine dwelling place and it is not to be doubted but that the wisedome of GOD and of his Son and the Disciples of wisedome chose the most plaine and safe way to life eternall But because the number of fooles is infinite few there are that willingly choose this way and most men decline it asmuch as they may 4. The last thing considerable in the length of the divine wisedome is that as GOD is eternall himselfe so hath he endued every thing with a most lively instinct of defending and preserving their owne lives as long as they can We see that when men are in danger of death how they bestirre themselves and spare neither cost nor labour to preserve their lives We see beasts to save theirlives how they fight beyond their strength with beasts farre stronger then themselves we see a burning candle when it is neere extinguishing and almost spent how it will raise it selfe twice or thrice and send forth a great flame as it were to wrastle with that which would put it out we see sometimes droppes of raine or water to hang from a penthouse or a stone and reduce themselves into an orbe and as long as they can to keepe themselves from loosening and perishing by dropping downe Wee see heavy things ascend and light against nature to descend least there should be a vacuum and that being disjoyned from other things they cannot subsist But more wonderfull it is that GOD hath endued parents with such vehement affection in the propagating of the like and defending their issue that may seeme almost incredible We see the hen a weake and infirme creature to fight most eagerly against Kites Dogs and Foxes to preserve her chickens but what paines and labour doe women willingly endure in bearing and breeding their infants is obvious to every one And the cause of all this is the connsaile of the wisedome of GOD who to cherish this propagation as a shadow of eternity hath imprinted this most vehement and ardent love in all creatures bruit and wilde towards their issue for whereas there are many creatures to whose destruction all men give their minds either for private pleasure and profit as Hares Bores Harts Quarles Partridges Phesants and all kinds of Fish or for the common good as wolves Foxes Serpents and many other noysome creatures it had not beene but that long agoe many species of creatures had beene utterly destroyed if the wisedome of GOD had not provided for their preservation by this affection Now if there be naturally such an inbred love in all living creatures towards this short and carefull life what love ought we to have to the life eternall O the blindnes and foolishnesse of mankind I all things labour beyond their strength for this most short life being but a shadow of eternity and Man endued with reason vouchsafeth not to labour I will not say beyond his strength but with all his power for the true eternity of a most happy life all things by a naturall instinct abhorre the temporary death and avoyd and shunne it above all evill and Man reasonable Man instructed by divine Faith neither feares nor shunnes eternall death at least not so much as hee useth to shunne and feare temporary evills Truly therefore was it said The number of fooles is infinite and most truly said the Truth it selfe The gate is streight and the way narrow that leadeth unto life and few there be that finde it The altitude of height or Gods practicall wisedome is seene in the worke of Redemption I was not satisfied saith St. Augustine with thy wonderfull sweetnesse when I considered the height of thy Counsell for the salvation of mankind And truly it was a most high Counsaile by the ignominy of the Crosse to repayre all the losses which the craft of the Devill by the offence of the first Man brought to mankind and so to repaire them that the worke repayred was farre more faire then when it began to need reparation Foure especiall evills sprang up by the sinne of the first Man 1. The injury to GOD by the pride and disobedience of Adam 2. The punishment of him and allmankinde namely the privation of Gods grace and everlasting blessednesse 3. The sorrow of the Angels who were much displeased at the injury done to GOD and the misery which befell to men 4. The ioy of the Devill and all malignant spirits who rejoyced that man was overcome and destroyed by him All these evills the wisedome of GOD by the mystery of the Crosse converted into greater good O happy offence which deserved such and so great a Redeemer Certainely if any by his skill and labour should so amend a garment which by some mischance came to be rent and torne that it become more neate and pretious we would say it was a happy rent which gave occasion to such an amendment and bettering The first Man by the craft and envy of the Devill being lifted and puffed up with pride affected a likenesse to GOD and being disobedient to his maker fell from his first happinesse for robbing GOD after a fort of the honour due unto him But the second Adam CHRIST JESUS who is the wisedome of GOD humbled himselfe and became obedient unto death and restored more honour to GOD then the first Adam by his pride and disobedience tooke away for Adam was a pure Man and if he had obeyed GOD he had obeyed him in a most easie matter And what had it beene to have abstained from the fruit of one forbidden tree when there was abundance of excellent trees besides and therefore the sinne was the more heynous by how much the easilier the command might have beene obeyed being a matter of no labour or difficulty But CHRIST was GOD and Man and humbled himselfe to obey his Father in a thing of all things the greatest and most laborious and painefull in the death of the Crosse full of paine and ignominie Againe if we consider the eminencie of the person and the depth of his humility and
this point GOD is mercifull and long suffering he will not alwaies be chiding neither keepeth his anger for ever The height or altitude of Gods mercy comes next in order to be spoken of which is taken from the cause moving him to be mercifull which certainly is most high and exalted above the heavens according to that in the Psalme His mercy reacheth to the heavens and Mercy shall be set up for ever thy truth shalt thou establish in the heavens which mercy of his differs from that of men in diverse respects 1 Some men are mercifull to other because they stand in need of their helpe and this is the lowest Degree of mercy because it reflects upon their owne profit and commodity as to our Dogges Horses and other cattell 2. Others are pittifull for coâ—sanguinity or friendship because they are our children brethren friends or familiars to whom we extend our mercy and this is a Degree a little higher and begins to have some reason or resemblance of vertue 3. Lastly others are mercifull because they are their neighbours and in that respect men created by the same GOD out of the same mould and therefore they make no difference whether they be friends or enemies good or bad kindred or strangers but pitty all alike whom they know to be created after the image of GOD and this is the highest Degree that mortalls can reach unto But GOD hath pitty upon all things because they are his creatures and especially upon men because they are his images and more specially yet upon good men because they are his children heires of his Kingdome and coheires with his onely begotten Son But if thou wilt demaund why GOD created the World why he made man after his owne image why he hath justified the wicked and made them heires of his Kingdome nothing at all can be answered but because he would and if thou askest why he would nothing can be said but because he is good for goodnesse diffuseth and communicateth it selfe willingly In heaven hath hee established his mercy and from his highest habitation from the heart of the Father hath it descended and filled the earth The earth is full of the mercy of the LORD saith the Psalmist Therefore as he found matter enough in us to deserve punishment so hee found enough in himselfe to have mercy upon us Lift up thy selfe then and with the eyes of thy mind in that high fountaine of mercy behold that purity mixt with no intention of his owne profit and when thou hearest the Schoolemaster of all men perswading and saying Be mercifull as your heavenly Father is mercifull strive as much as thou canst to have not onely compassion upon thy fellowservants but be mercifull to them with that pure affection which our heavenly Father pitties us If thou remit an injury to a detractor or malicious accuser doe it heartily committing the offence to perpetuall oblivion for our Father forgets our offences saith Ezechiel and Looke how wide the East is from the West so farre hath he set our sinnes from us saith David least they should doe us harme any longer If thou givest almes to a poore man understand that thou dost rather take then give because he that giveth to the poore lendeth upon usury to the LORD as Solomon saith and therefore give it humbly and reverently not as an almes to a poore man but as a present to a Prince If thou sufferest any ill to profit thy necessitous neighbour consider how farre short thou comest of thy Lord who gave his life and blood to doe thee good So it shall come to passe that without hope of earthly reward or any itch of vaine glory and out of the pure and onely love of GOD and thy neighbour thou shalt be a good proficient in the Schoole of mercy In the last place the depth of Gods mercy comes to be considered and as the height of it shines chiefly in the cause so the depth seemes to be sought in the effects Therefore that mercy which descends onely to words hath little depth in it but may rather be called superficiall and that mercy is to bee reputed more deepe which relieveth and refresheth those which are in misery not onely with comfortable words but reall deeds and benefits and that the most deep of all other which helpeth those which are miserable not onely by speaking and giving but in suffering and co-assisting in labours and sorrowes Now our GOD of whose mercy is neither number nor end is by all these wayes mercifull to us 1. For first hee hath sent comfortable letters his holy Scriptures to us as it is said in the Booke of the Maccabees we have the holy bookes in our hands for our comfort And not onely doth GOD speake to us and promise us ayd and protection by his letters but by the sermons of preachers who are ambassadours to us for CHRIST in this pilgrimage I will hearken saith David what the LORD GOD will say concerning me for hee shall speake peace unto his people and to his Saints that they turne not againe 2. Againe the benefits wee receive by Gods mercy in cuâ—ing our manifold miseries aswell temporall as spirituall are so many as that they cannot be numbred for every where he crowneth us with mercy and loving kindnesse that is he compasseth us on every side with the benefits of his mercy 3. Thirdly his mercy descended by the mystery of the Incarnation to labours sorrow hunger thirst ignominie reprâ—â—ches stripes and wounds to the crosse and death to redeeme us from all iniquity and from everlasting death due to sinne Câ—n there be any abysse more 〈◊〉 to which the mercy of God could descend yes there is for he did not this out of due debt but of meere grace He was offered because hee would saith Esay for who compelled the Son of GOD who thought it no robbery to bee equall with GOD to take on him the forme of a servant to make himselfe poore for us that we through his poverty might be made rich and to humble himselfe to death even the death of the Crosse to quicken and exalt us certainely it was onely his love that forced him his onely mercy compelled him And yet there is another thing more deep a deeper degree for in this worke of our salvation hee would have us communicate and participate in his glory and honour The Angels song seemed to be a fit division Glory to GOD in the highest and peace in earth the honour to GOD the profit to men but the mercy of GOD would have all the profit to be ours and the honour part his part ours 4 Lastly the mercy of GOD is most profound and deepe towards men especially good men and fearing GOD in regard that this mercy exceeds the affection of Father or Mother then which upon earth wee finde none greater Can a woman forget her child saith the
that no goodnesse is wanting to him but rather â—o great and infinite goodnes and holines as that he may be justly stiled onely good onely holy And therefore it cannot be â—aid that there is faith in GOD a â—heologicall vertue because 〈◊〉 is the evidence of things which are not seene but GOD seeth all things neither may Hope be said to be in GOD for hope is an expectation of things to come and that which is seen is not hope but GOD expecteth nothing because he enjoyeth all things from eternity Repentance for sinne is not in God because God cannot sinne Humility is not in God because this vertue keepeth a man backe least he vainely ascend above himselfe and causeth him to keepe his own station but God hath nothing above himselfe to ascend unto being the most high But most ample love and almost infinite and immense is in God for he loveth himselfe with infinite love because hee onely perfectly knoweth infinite goodnes which is his owne essence he also loveth all his creatures Thou lovest all things which are and hatest nothing that thou hast made saith the Wiseman for God knoweth by his wisedome to sever evill from good that is defect from nature even in Devils and the worst of men and nature hee loves because he made it defect he hateth because he made it not Lastly love is so true in God as that he would be called by that name God is love saith St. Iohn But our love compared with his is most streight and little There are very many things which we love not because we know them not many of those things also which we know we love not because we easily discerne not good from evill in them and we love not many good things well and in that regard with true love because we are evil our selves and rather leane to concupiscence then to love And we love God but with an unperfect love not onely because we love him not so much as his goodnes deservs to which measure or perfection of love the Angels themselves attaine not but also because we love him lesse then we should and lesse also then we might if we would give our selves more carefully and diligently to prayer and meditation This verture of love is accompanied in GOD with many other vertues as with singular magnificence liberality overflowing goodnes humanity patience long suffering more then fatherly gentlenes truth faithfulnes never failing mercy filling heaven and earth most upright justice and impartiall lastly most pure holines and so cleare that the Starres are not cleane in his sight and the Cherubims astonished at it cry Holy holy holy Lord God of Sabaoth Oh that thou wouldst consider this seriously with what feare and trembling wouldst thou performe thy prayers and praises to him But to proceed to the rest The longitude of the divine Justice consists in truth and faithfulnes Of his faithfulnes wee read in diverse places of Scriptures Thy faithfulnes reacheth to the clouds saith the Psalmist and Faithfulnes is the girdle of his reynes saith the Prophet Esay Great is thy faithfulnes saith Jeremy God is faithfull saith the Apostle in diverse places He abide the faithfull and He is faithfull that promised He is faithfull and just saith St. Iohn and King David God is righteous or faithfull in all his waies that is the promises of God pronounced by the mouthes of his Prophets many ages since never shall never were voyd or of no effect but are more sure and stable then heaven and earth for so saith our Saviour Heaven and Earth shall passe but my words shall not passe and It is more easie that Heaven and Earth should passe away then thaâ— one title of the Law should fall away where our Saviour understands by the Law the truth not onely of his commandements but of his promises for whatsoever God hath commanded are either to be kept or those to be punished that breake them and what he hath promised are established with everlasting stability The word of our God shall stand for ever saith the Prophet Esay and the Apostle God is true and every man a lyar and againe It is impossible for God to lye the reason of which speech is because he can neither be deceived being wisedome nor deceive being goodnesse nor faile being omnipotence But Men although wise good and mighty may be deceived and deceive because they neither know all things nor can performe all things which they can for though they be good when they promise a while after they may become evill and not willing to performe their promises Wherefore if thou be wise put thy confidence in God alone cleave onely to him and cast all thy care on him alone Walke humbly and carefully with God and he wil be carefull of thee take heed that thou offend not his justice and his mercy will ever protect thee neither shalt thou need to feare what the Devill or man can do against thee The altitude or height of Gods Iustice is seene in the retribution of the heavenly reward which hee as supreme Iudge hath prepared for those which live well and godly and we shall soone know what the height of this Iustice is 1 If we compare the Iudge God with men Iudges 2 If we compare reward with reward that is the reward which God gives with that which men usually give 1. Men Iudges and Princes too have many lets or hinderaÌ„ces from fully rewarding those which serve them For first either they cannot for want of sufficient meanes to reward every ones deserts 2. Or either they know not the merits of their followers or cannot justly value them 3. Or out of the wickednesse and covetousnesse of mind or some other perverse affection they will not duely reward them which deserve 4. or lastly either they which should give or they which should receive their rewards are prevented by death from giving or taking But God gives to all good men not onely according to their desers but above them for what more meane desert can be imagined then to give a cup of cold water to a thirsty soule yet GOD hath promised that this small worke of mercy shall not loose its reward and the largenesse of the reward S. Luke describeth Good measure pressed downe shaken together 1 Nor is there any danger that GOD will not be of ability to performe with us being Lord of all things and can by a word speaking increase and multiply all things infinitely 2 Neither is it to be feared that GOD should be deceived in the number or value of our deserts being the most wise and all things lying open to his eyes and he searching the reynes and hearâ—s of his well doing servants and understands with what minde intent fervor and diligence they have done any thing 3 Neither may any suspect that GOD hath any evill meaning to defraude his poore servants and children of
their just reward being faithfull in all his words 4 Lastly he cannot dye being immortall and all things live to him so that there is no danger that any shall be prevented or hindered by any meanes from receiving their due rewards and therefore in all these respects it is most safe to transact with GOD as amost just Judge and a dangerous and foolish thing to put any confidence in man or to expect from them any just recompence for our paines and labour 2. Let us now compare rewards with rewards divine with humane heavenly with earthly and I would demand what it is that men can retribute to those who all their lives long labour for them breaking many nights sleepe and putting their lives in danger for them O the blindnesse of men what can men repay but small base transiâ—â—ry and things of small continuance But GOD giveth great sublime and eternall things and yet those are much hunted after and these despised St. Chrysostome compares Palaces Cities and the Kingdomes of this world which worldlings so much admire to those brittle fabriques which children make of chalke or clay which being made by them with much labour are derided by those of elder growth and are spoiled with the kicke of a mans foot and so are all those great stately Palaces Towers Castles and Kingdomes but cotages of lome in respect of the celestiall and eternall and derided by the Angels and easily subverted by our heavenly Father whereby we may understand that all earthly things are altogether vaine and transitory which although there be but few who now consider it yet all of us at the last day shall fully understand how little they have profited us and St. Hilary confirmes this when he saith The day of judgement will discover how vaine and how little worth all these things have beene But let us more narrowly looke and consider what manner of rewards Gods are which are so sleighted of most men in respect of these petty earthly recompences I First in that heavenly Kingdome there shal be all the good things which may be desired for they which shall inherit that Kingdome shall be blessed and blessednesse is a perfect accumulation of all good things heaped together There shall be all the good things of the mind Wisedome and vertues of the body beauty health and strength externall good riches pleasure and honour Lastly all these shall be in full perfection and eminencie For GOD who shewed his power in the creation of the World of nothing and his wisedome in governing and providence and his love and goodnes in the redemption of mankinde by the mystery of the incarnation and passion of his Son will then manifest the magnificence of his glory and the munificence of his bounty in the distribution of rewards prizes and crownes to those who have triumphed here over their enemy the Devill And this wisedome shall not be a speculation of the divinity in things created but the very open vision of the essence of God the cause of all causes and of himselfe the chiefe truth by which most resplendent sight the soules of the Saints shall shine with so cleare a light as that St. John speaking of that future glory saith We shal be like him because we shall see him as he is From this excellent wisedome shall proceede love so ardent as that adhering alwaies to that chiefe good it neither will nor can beseparated from it So that the whole soule and all the powers of it shall ever remaine in this excellent state and condition The body shall shine as the Sunne as our Saviour speakes and that shall be its beauty the health of it shal be immortality the strength impassibility lastly the body which is now a creature shall then be spirituall that is obedient to the command of the spirit so that it shall surpasse the winds in agility and pierce even walls with its subtilty The riches of it shall be to want nothing as also to possesse all things in and with God for he shall make him ruler over all his goods What shall I say of pleasure seeing it is said They shal be satisfied with the plenteousnes of thy house and thou shalt give them drinke of thy pleasures as out of theriver now what mind can conceive the delight of enjoying the chiefe happinesse of seeing beauty it selfe of tasting pleasure it selfe of entring into the joy of our Lord that is being made partakers of his pleasure which makes him happy Now the honour and glory of the Saints exceeds all that can be spoken for in the Theatre and view of the whole world of all men and Angels shall the Saints be praysed and crowned by GOD himselfe which exceeds all honour and shall be placed in Christs throne as partakers or partners of his Kingdome for so we read in the Revelation To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne even as I overcame and sit with my Father in his throne And if to all these we will adde eternity as an unspeakeable seasoning and relish to them who then can conceive the greatnesse of this heavenly happinesse and all this which we cannot conceive by thought we shall finde to be true by possessing if by our sober just and godly life we shall attaine to that blessed Countrey for certainely those good things shall endure for ever which the servants of GOD by his grace shall procure with a little labour here What sayest thou then hadst thou rather please thy selfe with children in framing these little buildings of lome then to strive to get possession of an everlasting Kingdome art thou better contented to delight thy selfe with the pleasures of beasts which is horrible to thinke then to enjoy the ineffable joyes which the Angels GOD by his mercy forbid rather pray to GOD to give thee his feare and that the obedience of his Law may be more sweet unto thee then the honey and the honey combe and that crucifying the flesh with the concupiscences thereof thou mayst aspire to the spirituall and everlasting delights of his Paradise and pray to him to give thee grace to follow the steps of thy Saviour Christ who was meeke and lowly in heart Who when he was reviled reviled not againe when he suffered he threatned not and that he would give thee grace to live soberly justly and piously in this present world that thou mayst with some boldnesse expect and wayt for that blessed hope even the coming of the glory of the great GOD and of our Saviour the Lord Iesus Christ It remayneth that we consider the justice which GOD executeth in punishing sinners in the 〈◊〉 aâ—yssâ— of hell which if we will doe seriously we shall understand that to be very true which the Apostle tells us It is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the living God For to follow the order which we held in his rewarding
the Sun compares it to a Bridegroome going out of his chamber for never doe men desire to set themselves forth in better manner nor to seeme more lovely and beautifull then when they are bridegroomes as desirous to please the brides eye more at that then at any other time But if we could fasten the sight of our eyes upon the Sun and were neere unto it and could behold it in the true quantity and quality we should not need the similitude of a bridegroome to conceive the incredible beauty of it Certainely all the grace of the eyes depends on the light and without it all the beauty of colours vanisheth and looseth the lustre Againe nothing is more faire then the light and GOD himselfe who is beauty it selfe would be called light GOD is light saith St. John and in him is no darknesse at all And among corporeall things nothing is more cleare then the Sun and in that regard nothing more faire and beautifull Besides if we will adde this that the beauty of inferiour things especially of men soone fadeth but the beautie of the Sun never decayeth never decreaseth but alwaies maketh all things joyfull with equall splendor for if we observe it upon the Sun rising all things seeme in a manner to rejoyce men are merry sweet winds blowe flowers open herbs increase and birds refresh the ayre with their melodious notes and therefore it was the answer of old Tobias to the Angel who gave him joy What joy can I have said he that sit in darkenesse and see not the light of Heaven Consider then with thy self and say that if the created Sun doth so comfort every thing in his rising what joy shall there be to pure soules when they shall behold the uncreate Son without comparison fairer and clearer and that not for a time but for ever and what horror shall be to the wicked when they shall be condemned to everlasting darkenesse where they shall neither behold the beames of the uncreate or create Sun and what joy shall it bring to that soule to whom the Father of lights shall say Enter into thy Lords joy 3. In the next place King David sets forth and describes the admirable course of the Sun He rejoyceth as a Giant to runne his course Without doubt a Giant is strong and if according to the greatnesse of his body he will stretch out his paces and runne as swiftly as by his strength he may he quickly will passe over a great space of ground And as before the Prophet to expresse the Suns beauty compared it to a Bridegroom so to set forth the swiftnesse of his course he likens it to a Giant But though he had not compared him to a strong man or a Giant but to flying birds arrowes winds or lightning yet he had fallen farre short in that comparison between it and them in this property of swiftnesse for if it be true which we see that the Sun passeth the circuit of his Oâ—be in 24 houres and if the circuit of its Orbe doth infinitely exceed the circuit of the Orbe of the earth and if the compasse of the earth comprehends 20000. miles or thereabouts all which are very true then of necessity it must follow that every houre he runneth many thousands of miles Nay what speake we of houres I may say every quarter and almost every minute for if a man doe but observe the rising or setting of the Sun in an open horizon as it is at Sea or in the plain of a champion Countrey he may perceive its whole body to ascend above the horizon in lesse space then the eight part of an houre and yet the diameter or thicknesse of the body of the Sun is much greater then the diameter of the Orbe of the earth and which containes 7000. miles And if we will adde yet further that the body of the Sun which is moved so swiftly is farre greater then the heape or masse of the whole earths Orbe and that the motion of this body so great is so speedy without intermission or wearinesse and that this motion if GOD command it shall continue for ever certainly if thou beest not a stocke or a blocke thou canst not but wonder at the infinite power of thy creator and therefore most truely was it said to be a merveilous vessell the worke of the most High 4. The last property of the Sun that is the efficacie of the light and heate of it comes now to be considered of which the Prophet in the same Psalme speaketh There is nothing hid from the heate of it This one cleare body placed in the midst of the World enlightens all Starres all the ayre all Seas and all the Earth and by its vivifying heate makes all things as plants corne and trees to spring and sprout and bringeth all â—ruit to maturity and ripenesse it spreads and diffaseth its vertue and power also into the earth causing it to bring forth all kinds of mettall And therefore St. James compares GOD himselfe unto it Every good guift saith he and every perfect guift is from above and cometh downe from the Father of lights with whom is no variablenesse nor shadow of changing The Sun indeed is the Fathâ—r of lights corporall but GOD of spirituall But in three things there is difference betweene GOD and the Sun 1. The Sun to enlighten and heate the world must of necessity have a perpetuall transmutation or charge from place to place but GOD because he is whole every where needs no such change and therefore well said St. James with whom is no changing 2. Againe the Sun because he continually passeth from place to place makes it day in one place and night in anotheâ— to some it makes light to others darke at the same time But GOD is never moved he is ever present to all and therefore the same Apostle addes with whom is no shadow of changing 3. Lastly whâ—ch is greatest of all from the Sun the Father of corporall lights are all the guifts which grow upon earth but these guifts are neither the best nor perfect but rather small temporall and fraile and not able to make a man good but being evill used may turne to his destruction But from GOD the Father of lights spirituall come all excellent and perfect guifts which make the possessor good and perfect and which none can abuse and which bring them which persevere in them to the state of true happinesse Seek then those good and perfect guifts which come from above from the Father of lights and when thou hast found them be sollicitous to keepe them and there is no need to goe farre for them the very nature of the Sun will demonstrate them unto thee for the Sun doth all things with his light and heate and these two are the guifts of the Father of corporall lights and the good and perfect guifts which come down from the Father of lights even GOD himselfe are the light of wisedome