his handes and the diuine words of his mouth As for the memory we shal be questioned if we haue vsed it in calling our Lord God to mind togeather with his presence his goodnes his power and all his benefits and mercies We shal be arraigned vpon the point of our Will if perhaps it haue beene busyed in the loue and estimation and desire of God and the accomplishment of his Law and of his will and in the search of all those thinges which concerne the glory of our Lord God We shall b We shall not only giue account of our sinnes the faculties of our mind but also of the senses of our body and of the vse of all Gods creatures giue account of how we put the senses of our body on worke if we imployed our eyes vpon behoulding this fabrike of the world and these Heauens and Elements and the other works of God that so behoulding in these creaturs the trace and sent which they carry in them of all his diuine perfections we may raise our selues vp by them So to consider with our soules the power and the wisedome and the goodnes and the beauty of God and by this meanes to loue and praise him with our whole harts So also if we imployed our ears to hear the words of the true God and those instructions and doctrines admonitions and examples which were profitable to the soule and in hearing the sweet musicke of mans voice and of the instruments which he can vse of the birds also of the ayre so to stir our selues vp towardes deuotion to contemplate the much sweetnes of that Celestiall musicke and so to loue and esteeme the blessinges of heauen And concerning the Smell if we imployed it onely vpon those things which are necessary for mans life through the sent of creaturs if we aspir'd towardes the sweet sauour of vertues and of good example of the glory of the next life So also for the Tongue if it was mouing in the prayse of our Lord God in offering him deuout prayers in learning and teaching those thinges which are necessary both for our selues and our Neighbours and in discouering and confessing our sinnes for the obtayning of pardon and redresse thereof and in taking but that food which was necessary for the sustenance of our life and in drawing out of the gust sauour of corporal meate a consideration and feeling of the vnspeakeable sweetnes and sauour of those spirituall foods of grace and glory So also if we haue imployed the sense of Feeling with our handes and all the rest of our body vpon the onely taking of those thinges which were necessary for the same body and profitable for our soule and for our Neighbours and for the vse of our life and for the exercise of the workes of Charity and Mercy This good vse of all the powers of our souls senses of our body doth our Lord God demaund of vs when he saith Deut. 4. Keepe thy selfe and keepe thy soule with great care and of this are we to make a very exact accompt in his diuine Iudgement Wee shall also giue accompt in the same Iudgment of all our sinnes of speach such as are vaine Oathes Reproaches murmurations cursings scoffing of our neighbours and words of anger and impatience of lying of sowing discord Of these and others which are either lasciuious or curious or vaine of euery idle word saith Christ our Redeemer Matt. 12. shall men giue accompt in the day of Iudgment and that word goeth for idle which is neither necessary nor profitable Accompt must also be giuen of all sinnes of deed such as are disobedience to parents and other Superiours reuenge ill in treaty of our neighbours dishonesty iniustice vsurping detayning the goods of others against right vnlawfull bargaines pride in gouernement excesse in the furniture of houses of clothes of expences otherwise and in the intertainemēt of seruants excesse also in dyet in play and in other superfluous and vaine things Of all these and of all other euill deeds accompt must be giuen as Ecclesiastes saith Eccles 12. All things which are done by man both good bad shall be presented in that diuine Iudgemēt to be there examined for euery work which shal be found erroneous and ill he shal be punished We shall giue accompt of al our thoughts such as are rash Iudgmēt consents which are giuen to reuenge or els vncleanes or voluntary delights in any thing which is ill or to inward hatred or in fine to thoughts which are vnprofitable For as the Wise man saith Sap. 1 God will examine iudge the thoughts of the wicked Besides this we shall giue c A point of great moment and little thought on accompt of our sinnes of Omission which are the most in number and ly most hidden from our sight For hauing forborne to pray to read good bookes to fast to performe other penances and mortifications and to confesse and communicate For hauing omitted to do the workes of Iustice and mercy in certaine cases and at certaine tymes when either some particuler precept or the great necessity of doing those workes did oblige vs to them For hauing fayled to comply with many dutyes of our calling and offices to which we were bound by the obligations either of God or man We shall giue accompt how we haue profitted by those spirituall and supernaturall graces which God hath giuen vs such as are his Sacraments the guifte of Fayth the Doctrine of the Ghospell good Sermons holy exampls vertuous conuersations the admonitions and reprehensions of our Superiours and Ghostly Fathers and the interiour inspirations which God hath giuen vs. We shall giue account how we haue vsed our naturall and temporall benefits as namely our Health if we haue imployed it vpon the seruice of that Lord who gaue it Our Tyme if we haue spent it profitably our Reputation if we vsed it to the glory of God and the good of our Neighbour Our Estate temporal goods if we haue imployed them onely to the succour of the true necessities of our selues our family and our neighbours and of those things which are profitable to the life of a Christian man and to the honest Condition of euery one The accompt which is to be giuen for these sinnes of Omission and the punishment which is allotted to them Christ our Lord declared in that Parable of the Talents when he told that vnprofitable seruant that the Talent which God gaue him which are his naturall and spirituall guifts as also his temporall goods was not well imployed by him nor vsed in those workes which were agreable to God and he said thus to him Matt. 25. Thou negligent and wicked seruant since thou sayst that I am rigorous and that I expect more then I laid out why didst thou not put out that Talent to profit which I gaue thee That is why didst thou not make
a stiffe and effectuall purpose to put in executiō all those meanes which ar either necessary or but euen conuenient for the obteyning of this kingdome of heauen Now for the entring into heauen it is necessary to cast sinne away For Sinne giues impediment to al approach thither and they who haue the soule loaden with any one mortall sinne cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen Let vs therfore clense our soules from former sinne by penance and let vs resist all temptations least els we may returne to fall againe according to the aduice of the Apostle who saith Houlding fast these promises of God which are so great and so certaine and do concerne those sublyme guifts of grace and glory let vs my brethren much beloued clense our selues from all spot of sinne whether it be interiour or exteriour He saith from all sinne because it will behooue vs to be clensed from al and we must fly with diligence from all From mortall sins because they are against Charity do separate vs from God and from veniall sins because they are contrary to the will of God and they weaken the soule and dispose it to commit mortall sinne consequently to forfaite the kingdome of heauen So also for entring into heauen it is necessary to do good works such as are acceptable to God as Christ our Lord affirmeth saying Matt. 19◠If thou wilt enter into that eternall life which is true life keepe the commaundments Complying b It must stir vs vp to the practise of all vertue therefore with this obligation let vs performe holy workes wherby we may fulfill the commaundement of God and let vs put in execution the vertues of Humility Chastity Mercy Iustice Temperance Fortitude Religion and Charity by which if they be wrought in state of grace and do growe out of Charity they will make vs worthy of eternall life Besides c It exhorteth vs to perseuerance for the obteyning of this kingdome of heauen it is necessary that we continue in the good begun till we end in doeing well as our Lord did teach vs saying Matt. 24. He that contynueth to the end shall be saued Let vs therfore perseuere in good life and although the deuills comber vs with their temptations though men do persecute vs with their iniuries and though our Lord God do trye vs by many tribulatiōs let vs not turne backe nor be dismaied nor suffer our selues to fall downe to inordinate sorrow nor impatience nor disconfidence but let vs continually make our recourse to God and praying to him with humility let vs beg strengh at his hands wherwith to suffer and constancy that we may perseuere confidence that we may not dispaire So doth the Apostle aduise the Galathians saying Galat. 6. We who are liuing well and do exercise our selues in good workes let vs not faint nor giue ouer no nor growe slacke in the good course begunne but let vs contynue and grow therin with great constancy For in due tyme we shall gather the fruit if we doe not faint That is to say we shall eat the fruit of glory which shall haue no end Moreouer d We must not thinke of finding our heauen in this life if we meane to haue it in the next for the arriuing to enioy celestial beatitude we must despise the goodes and pleasures of this world And it is necessary that we place not our hartes or endes in them nor that we seeke for comfort in them as Christ our Lord did signify to vs by saying Luc. 6. Woe be to you who are the louers of riches and who haue placed your comfort in the cōmodityes of this life For this reason it will be necessary in most particuler manner to contemne all the commodityes of this life namely riches honours and pleasures as poore things transitory and base for by despising them we shall not place our end nor seeke for comfort in them This is therefore that fruit which we are to gather from the knowledge and desire of celestiall beatitude For knowing the greatnes and beauty and valew of heauenly things we grow quickly and clearely to see the vilenes poornes of such as be earthly and by desiring and tasting eternall things we grow instantly to loose the loue and tast of all thinges transitory And thus shall we perfectly accomplish that which the Apostle asketh at the hands of all the faythfull saying Coloss 3. If you be raysed vp with Christ seeke the things that are aboue That is e A place of S. Paul excellently pondered to say Since you are risen vp in soule to a spirituall life of grace with hope to be raysed vp in due tyme to an immortall and glorious life both in body and soule in imitation of Christ our Lord who rose vp from the dead to an immortal and glorious life seek you with your thoghts with your desirs with your good works and with continuall prayer the kingdom of heauen And since Christ our Lord who is your head is seated at the right hand of his Father possessing and enioying euen as man the greatest anthority and the greatest felicity of glory which he did euer communicate in Tyme or will euer communicate for all Eternity you that are members of his take gust and sauour in heauenly thinges and place not your delight and loue vpon those of the earth but desire those others so from the hart and with so great purity of life that you may euen by experience find the gust and most pure sauour of them addresse your life in order to this end of eternall glory which you loue and for which you hope This efficacious purpose determinate resolution to cleanse the soule from all vice to imploy it with perseuerance in good workes and cordially to despise earthly thinges is the vse which we are to make of the knowledg and desire of celestiall beatitude as hath beene sayd And it is most iust due that so we do and that for the going through with this enterprize which we are to make vpon heauen we be content to vndertake all labour and to encounter with any difficulty All the things f A plaine demonstration and I am in good hope that it will cōuince thee of this life which are of any valew are able to giue but the least cōtentment do cost some trouble and in all them some difficulty is to be endured The husband-mā for gathering in of a little corne doth manure and plough the ground before he sowes and after he hath sowed and that the blade is vp and the corne is growne is fayne first to cleanse it and then to sheere it with much labour The Sheepheard for the breeding of his poore flocke doth content himselfe to endure the heats and coldes and raines and windes and night-watches All Marchants and Factors and all the Maryners conductors who are of seruice to thē in their negotiations do
with the glorious stole of immortality are to enioy God eternally in his kingdome Now d The ioy which the elect will haue to see thēselues so neere the end of their hope by this so certaine secure hope that God wil be so gracious to them as to graunt that they may possesse enioy that immense good which they so mightily desire and to which then they shall be brought so neere they will reioyce and be reuiued in a wonderfull manner and giue strange thankes to God for hauing brought them to see that day and for hauing continued them in his seruice and vouchsafed to giue them such tokens pledges of his glory All this did Christ our Lord vnfold in the Ghospell For hauing reckoned vp the signs which are to appeare before his comming to Iudgement and the feare and sorrow wherewith they shall be receaued by the wicked turning then his discourse to his disciples and in their persons to all such as would be their imitatours and were to be aliue at that tyme he sayth after this manner When these thinges shall arriue which are to precede my comming do you lift vp your heads Be not disquieted be not dismayd giue no place to sorrow none to feare or to distrust as the louers of the world will do who will go with the head all hanging downe like men afflicted and dismayd But haue you great confidence conceaue great courage be cheerefull and reioyce and with this confidence and ioy lift vp your harts your face to God for now your redemption draweth neere The tyme approacheth and so doth that most happy state and complete redemption which now with my Passion and Death I am about to gain for you and that is both security from all kind of misery and immortall glory both to body and soule Another great fauour to the iust will be to see appearing in the ayre and that high vp neer heauen and before the person of Christ our Lord the signe and standard of the most holy e Happy soules which heere are deuoted to the Crosse of Christ our Lord Crosse not made of wood or mettall but of other most glorious matter and more brightly shining incomparably with more beauty then the sunne and in proportion so very large that being plac't on high it may be seene ouer the whole earth by all the inhabitāts thereof For a matter and motiue it is of incomparable comfort ioy for them to see in such high honour and glory that Crosse which they adored as the Image of Christ and which they loued by enduring and suffering affronts and paynes for his sake When f A profound yet a plain consideration a worldly man doth hate any thing or any person and seeth it or him aduanced to honour it puts him to payne Wicked men in this life did abhorre the Crosse of Christ because they did extremely loue the pleasures and delicacyes transitory honours of this world they detested to suffer paine sham in the vertue and for the loue of Christ our Lord. So doth S. Paul expresse it saying Phil. 3. There are many who liue and conuerse among you of whome I haue aduertised you many tymes now againe I repeate it with griefe sorrow of my hart who are the enemies of the Crosse of Christ since they giue themselues to delights and delicacyes and to ambition and pride which the Crosse of Christ doth condemne and they flye from pennance and mortification and abstinence and from the exercises of humility to which the Crosse of Christ doth perswade and teach When therefore these men shall see in that diuine Iudgment that the Crosse of Christ is so highly honoured and made so glorious which they with their workes did so abhorre it shall replenish them with paine and griefe For thereby they shall more cleerely see their errour and the eternall condemnation which is prepared for them For that is to be the end of such men as the same Apostle declareth saying VVhose end is death and the destruction of their soules On g The same consideration continued the contrary side whosoeuer he be that doth greatly loue any thing or person he reioyceth taketh comfort to see that it is honored esteemed by others And now for as much as the seruantes of God do cordialy loue the Crosse of Christ which is To mortify thēselues with thinges of difficulty to flesh and bloud and to suffer paines and tribulations and affronts for his loue and in the imitation of his Passion For as S. Paul sayth Galat. 5. They who are of Christ and who re liuely members of him and who haue his spirit and who are gouerned by him doe crucify their flesh and chastise it with penances and by willingly imbracing those affronts paynes which God presents And by afflicting their flesh in this manner they doe withall destroy and kill the vices and ill desires which sprout from thence Now when the seruants of God shal see that Crosse h And haue we not reason to loue it since it was the instrumēt of our redemption which they loued so much and wherein they did so greatly reioyce become exalted and so glorious and so highly honoured by Almighty God and so reueared by the whole world they shal receaue thereby excessiue ioy and consolation to see how well they chanced in following the Crosse of Christ our Lord and they shall hold it as an expresse signe of the glory which God will giue to them For a truth of God it is which is pronounced by his Apostle That whatsoeuer tribulation or paine or trouble is suffered in this life for the loue of God which how long soeuer it lasts is but momentary since it liues no longer then we liue which how grieuous soeuer it may seeme yet to the soules that loue God and are assisted by his holy grace is light and easy doth worke in vs and that as a meritorious cause a weight of most soueraigne glory ouerflowing beyond all measure and exceeding all that which we can so much as euen imagine this is not to be of temporall glory but a glory which shall neuer end CHAP. XV. Of the fauour which Christ our Lord wil do his seruants at the day of Iudgement by separating them from the wicked ANOTHER benefit fauour and that a great one will Christ our Lord do to his seruants in the day of Iudgment and that will be to separate them from the company of the wicked This was signified by Christ our Lord who said Matt. 25. When the sonne of man shall come to iudge he shall sit vpon the throne of his Maiesty all the nations of the earth shal be assembled before him and as the shepheard deuides the sheepe from the Goates so shall he deuide the good and bad from one another The good he calleth sheep for the innocency simplicity meeknes fruitefulnes in good works
deepe as that it hath neither bottom nor brim By seeing that it is an infinite delight and sweetenes and that it concernes the soule so much and that she doth so dearly truly belong vnto it and that it is her creator her father her God and that all her being depends vpon it there is also created in the soule another most copious and most abundant riuer of loue and all these riuers of loue meeting then in one the soule of euery Saint in heauen growes to haue in it an vnbridled boundles Sea of loue He that i Be still attentiue loues a thing doth wish it well if he may see the good he wishes it giues him ioy and the more he loues and the more he desires and the greater that the good is so much the greater is the ioy Now thē since the Saints in heauen do loue God with a whole boundlesse Sea of loue and seeing that he possesseth all the good which they can wish as namely that he is God himselfe and that together with God he is infinitely happy who can say what delight who can say what ioy they shall receiue since it is bound to be great according to the rate of their loue Infallibly they shall possesse a whole immense Sea of diuine ioy an immense Sea shall they possesse of celestiall and supreme delights This is that delight and ioy which the soule receiues from God himselfe being an infinit good when once she is possest of a cleare vision of him and that by loue O k Infinit ioy ioy which ouercomest all ioy O ioy which imbracest all our good O ioy without lymit O eternall ioy O ioy which art the euer running fountaine of al ioyes O ioy which knowest how to satisfy all the desirs and canst fill vp all the hollowes and empty places of the soule Matt. 25. and dost possesse whatsoeuer we shall euer be able to think To this ioy doth Christ niuite al his faithfull seruants this doth he giue them in reward of their vertue saying Reioyce O thou good faithfull seruant enter into the ioy of thy Lord. Another l The vnspeakable ioy which they shall haue by seeing the the most glorious humanity of Christ our Lord. felicity which the blessed soules shall haue is to behold the most glorious humāity of Christ our Lord and to enioye it and to see him euen as he is man in so excessiue Greatnes and Maiesty and glory And to see him withal so amiable and so affable so deerly sweet towards all those happy soules and to see that that Lord who is man as they are and who with his passion and death did for the loue he bare them redeeme them from eternall damnation the same man I say is the infinite and eternall God O how will they loue that most sacred humanity which loued them so much which did and suffered so great things for them O how will they reioyce to see that humāity so mightily sublymed and vnited by an incomprehensible manner to the person of the Word O how wil they glory in his felicity O what delight sweetnes wil they receiue from such a sight and from such a loue For as the prophet saith Isa 33. They shall see the king in his beauty Another m It wil be an inestimable ioy to see how infinitly God loueth them supreme felicity for those happy soules shal be to see the loue which God carries towards them and wherwith the eternall father did from all Eternity loue and choose them did in Tyme bestow his Sonne vpon them and deliuer him ouer to death for them and to see that this loue in it selfe is infinite and the very same wherewith God loues himselfe The n This truth is proued by a fit comparison seruant of a King will much esteeme that the king do him fauour bestowing some important place vpon him in his house with good prouision belonging to it But much more will he esteeme it and much more contentment cōfort will he receiue to see himselfe beloued by that king and that he is a fauorite of his And thogh he haue but some coniectures of this loue and that it may easely be cooled and changed into a disaffection yet doth he neuertheles esteem it more then all the other fauours which the king doth him For by louing him he giueth him his hart which is incomparably more then if he gaue him a part of his fortune What then will a Saint in glory feele in himselfe when he shal see that he is so beloued by God and although the benefits which God hath done him are very great yet the loue he beares him is much greater and although they are most precious benefits which there he is enioying by the guyft of God yet much more pretious is the loue For this loue is the root fountaine of all the benefites and guiftes and graces which he hath cōmunicated nay this loue is euen very God himselfe Now then to knowe this loue of God not by coniecture but by seeing it expresly in God with as great clarity as that wherewith he seeth God himselfe and still to see with the same clarity that this loue cannot be lost no nor changed but that for euer it shall remaine inuariable with the selfe same permanency wher with the truth of God himselfe shal remain of which truth it is sayd Psal 116. that it shall remaine for euer O how highly wil the Blessed esteeme value this loue of God! O how imcomparable ioy will they receiue to see thēselues so beloued by God! When loue is great it hath this property power that by the band of the same loue it makes o Of the vnion of seuerall things which is made by loue him that loues become the same thing with him that is beloued and that he lodgeth his whole hart in him that with the chaynes of loue he becomes imprisoned and euen captiued by him who is beloued that he depend wholy vpon him willing that which he wills and communicating to him all his goods Now then since the Blessed soules knowing that this is the property of intense loue and seeing themselues so beloued by God with this loue which hath no measure nor had no beginning nor will haue end what kind of immense incomparable ioy wil this be to them Without all question except the ioy which they shall haue in the felicity of God whome they loue more then themselues this other is their greatest ioy to see themselues so beloued by him who is omnipotent and who is infinite beauty and glory and the infinite fountaine of all Good Of this Loue God himselfe giueth testimony saying by the Prophet Hieremy Hier. 33. With eternall loue I haue loued thee and therefore did I in tyme shew mercy to thee and I called and drew thee to my friendship and glory CHAP. XVIII Of other benefits which Christ
THE IVDGE WHEREIN IS SHEWED how Christ our Lord is to Iudge the World at the last Day to the extreme Terrour of the Wicked and to the excessiue Comfort of the Good With a Preface which it will be necessary to read before the Booke Translated into English Nolite errare Deus non irridetur Quae enim seminauerit homo haec metet Gal. 6. vers 7. Be not deceaued God will not be mocked for the thinges which a man shall sow the same he shall reape Permissu Superiorum 1621. TO MY NOBLE FAITHFVLL WORTHY and most deare Friend Mr. G. T. SYR Since I had the Ioy to see you last I haue looked a little into the next Life as despayring that in this I should be able to find any thing which might be worthy to fill vp that place which is made empty by your ABSENCE And now by chance or rather by Gods good Prouidence I haue met with a Prospectiue-Glasse which giues me a view of Heauen and Hell in a very expresse cleare manner though the Countreyes theÌ„selues be far off I should neuer haue beene able to fit the Instrument towardes any eye but finding now that all was ready made and that so excellently to my hand I haue aduentured to frame a case for it after the English fashion The thing in it self you will not chuse but like for it is excellent and I am but too sure that you wil loue the part that I haue therein because the same Loue hath ceeled vp the eyes of your iudgement concerning me But if abstracting from that you chance to like it I shall stand in little feare of the censure of others who must giue me leaue to belieue that ther liues not amoÌ„gst them all for ought I know a man that can outstrippe you in Translating Heerein I haue seene pretious things of your doing both in Prose and Verse and in seuerall Languages And I neuer misliked any Translation of yours but that one when you traÌ„slated your Presence from the eyes of my body by whose AbseÌ„ce I am in part depriued of being able to translate some of your vertues into my soule The least that I can do against Absence Distance for so great a wrong is to send them a Defiance and to bid them be sure that if they mean to make me loue you one haires breadth the lesse they shal loose their labour Nay they kindle me rather to make this expression of my selfe and to acknowledge as I may say this Statute of my hart before the World For I am fixt in giuing you all power ouer me and I glory in being subiect to such a Friend Your what you will G. M. THE PREFACE A Learned and holy man of this age besides the odour of his Sanctity hath left suruiuing diuers Monuments of his writing and amongst the rest three bookes Of the Imitation of Christ our Lord. In the first of these he sheweth vnder seuerall Titles the seuerall Offices which his diuine Maiesty is performing to the soules of men as he is our God our Redeemer our King our Sauiour our Mediatour our Aduocate our Captaine our Sacrifice our Spouse our Doctour our Law-giuer our Pastour our Light our Life to conclude our Iudge The whole booke is large and not only should I haue felt the paines in translating it all but I might haue doubted of your Patience whether or no it would haue reached to the reading of it ouer with due intention The last of the Tytles deliuered to vs by our Authour I haue heere translated and you may see that he is a Lyon by his nayles In this discourse of Iudge which is not founded vpon priuate contemplations and much lesse either vpon loose coniections or streyned conceipts but euen wholy in effect vpon the passages of holy Scriptures though not cyted word for word but duely pondered and truly paraphrased as the best spirituall wryters are wont to do he doth admirably describe the soueraigne Maiesty the incomparable Mercy and the inuiolable Iustice of our Iudge And as incident heerunto he deliuers vs such a Mappe of the next world and doth so describe the Paradise of heauen the Zona Torrida of hell as may serue either to rauish vs with ioy or strike vs through with horrour and make vs euen wither for woe according to the seueral state that we may be in If we be members of the true Church of Christ our Lord and if withall we be in the state of grace we shall looke with more hope vpon the ioyes of heauen then with feare vpon the torments of hell and so we shall get courage in the good course begun But if on the other side we be cut off from the communion of the true Church of Christ our Lord by any one errour in beliefe or if yet being Catholikes we be remaining in state of mortal sinne this Treatise I hope wil help to guide vs by the haÌ„d out of those Labyrinths place vs in that high way of Fayth Charity without which we can haue no tytle to heaueÌ„ but the â—aws of hel will be sure to sucke swallow deuoure vs. Let no man therfore be deceaued or rather let no man deceaue himselfe God is God and he wil be serued And it is all reason that by our beleeuing and liuing as we ought true Homage may be done to that infinite inuisible immortall and most pure Maiesty of his And man is man a thing of nothing for of nothing he was made And as now he is what is he but a Pedlars-shop full of trash or rather a very sincke full of filth and to what height of honour ought he esteeme himselfe to be aduanced if he had but euen a single leaue to serue loue such an omnipotent Creator But now since besides this he is to be rewarded with an immortall Crowne of glory for so doing the sublime excellency wherof no created power can comprehend what meruayle can it be that the torments be also infinite to which he shal be adiudged and chayned if insteed of doing reuerence to God by imbracing an incorrupted faith leading either an innocent or penitent life he enter into rebellioÌ„ and treason against him by imbracing any errour in beleefe or falling into sensuality or any one other mortall sin if withall he dye therin without repentance It is not want of Charity in them who say That all such as dye with any mortall sinne vpon their soules shall eternally be tormented in the fyre of hell but it is true Charity to declare this truth that so in tyme men may know to what to trust S. Paul abounded and ouerflowed with Charity and that very Charity it was which obliged him to proclaim this doctrine Gal. 5. v. 20. That the workes of the flesh be manifest and he saith they are these Fornication Vncleanes Impudicity Luxury Seruing of Idolls Witchcrafts Emnities Contentions Emulations Anger 's Brawles Dissentions Sects Enuies Murthers
we may draw the detestation of sinne the care of leading a good life Chap. X. chapter 11 How a Christian is to draw out of the consideration of the diuine Iudgement a great feare of offending God that so he may fly far from it Chap. XI chapter 12 How it is very necessary ful of profit that a Christian do exercise himselfe in this holy feare accompany it with the exercise of diuine loue Chap. XII chapter 13 Of how great value and merit this holy Feare is Chap. XIII chapter 14 Of the fauours which Christ our Lord will do to the good at the day of Iudgement and of the Ioy which they shall conceaue by seeing the signes which precede that Iudgment and by beholding the glory of the Crosse which shall go before Christ our Lord. Chap. XIV chapter 15 Of the fauour which Christ our Lord will do his seruants at the day of Iudgment by separating them from the wicked Chap. XV. chapter 16 Of the fauour which Christ our Lord imparteth to his seruants at the day of Iudgment by giuing them his benediction and communicating his kingdome to them Chap. XVI chapter 17 Of the felicity which Christ our Lord will communicate to his seruants in the kingdome of heauen Chap. XVII chapter 18 Of other benefits which Christ our Lord cōmunicateth to his seruants in his heauenly kingdome and of the fruit of gratitude which we must gather from the Consideration of this reward Chap. XVIII chapter 19 How all the things of this life which are good and which giue delight do induce vs to a desire of the kingdome of heauen Chap. XIX chapter 20 How from this knowledge concerning the kingdome of Heauen which Christ our Lord will giue his seruants we are to gather a resolute purpose to fly from sinne and to fullfill the Commandments of God and to despise the commodityes of this life Chap. XX. chapter 21 How we are much to animate our selues towardes the exercise of good works considering the great estimation which Christ our Lord doth make of them at the day of Iudgement the reward which he also imparteth to them Chap. XXI THE IVDGE CHAP. I. How the office of being our Iudge doth belong to Christ our Lord as he is man and of the great benefit which God imparteth to vs in giuing him to vs to be our Iudge ALTHOVGH the indignation wrath of Christ our Lord against the wicked and the punishment which he inflicteth vpon their sins do belong to the office which he hath of being a Iudge yet so also doth it belong to him vnder the same Title to doe fauour to such as are Good to defend them to imparte benefites to them and both to expresse mercy towardes them in the Iudgment which he exerciseth vpon their faults to giue thē reward for their good deeds and for this reason it is that I wil declare the benefits and fauours which we obtaine by Christ our Lord in respect that he is our Iudge It a Why it was wholy fit for the second Person of the most holy Trinity to be our Iudg at the last day belongeth to Christ our Lord that he be our Iudge in regard that he is a man and because he tooke the nature of man vpon him as being a most conuenient thing that the Iudge be seene by all such as are to be iudged by him and that the guilty may wel vnderstand and heare the sentence that shal be giuē against them that for as much as men are composed of a body a soule they may perceaue it with their soule and heare it with the senses of their body Now if Christ our Lord as he is only God were to be the Iudge he could not then be seene by the wicked and the sentence which immediatly he should pronounce would not interiourly be perceaued by them and therefore it was fit that he should be our Iudge as man and should passe his Iudgment vpon men that so he might be seene and heard by all This Mystery was discouered to vs by Christ our Lord and Sauiour himselfe whilest he was saying Ioan. 5. The Father iudgeth no man but he hath giuen all iudgement to the Sonne and he gaue him au hority to exercise Iudgement as the sonne of man That is to say Although the eternal Father haue the supreme authority and power of Iudging that to him it doth principally belong to approue reward that which is good as also to reproue and punish that which is euill the same also hath the Sonne and the holy Ghost the same as being one the same God with the Father yet the office of Iudging exteriourly and after a visible manner to be seene in the Tribunall and with the authority Maiesty of a Iudge to giue exteriourly a sentence which may sensibly be perceaued by such as are Iudged this doth only belong to the person of the Sonne of God Who by meanes of the most sacred humanity which he hath immediatly vnited to himselfe by the power which frō all eternity he hath as God and by that which in Tyme was communicated to him as man he is to make this visible and exteriour Iudgment this being an execution of the interiour inuisible Iudgmēt which is made of all the most Blessed Trinity And although this exteriour Iudgment be also ascribed to the Father and to all the Blessed Trinity as to the prime cause of all things yet he who is the immediate executour of this Iudgement is Iesus Christ the Sonne of the liuing God because the sacred Humanity is only vnited immediatly to the person of the Sonne that Humanity doth make this Iudgment as the instrument of Diuinity Now b An vnspeakable benefit of God who gaue vs Christ our Lord for our Iudge an immense benefit and an imcomprehensible mercy it was for God the Father to giue vs Christ Iesus for the Iu ge of our cause as he is man as he is our brother and our Sauiour If a delinquent were in prison for greiuous Crymes deseruing death and that he had a brother who most tenderly loued him and esteemed him and did so much desire his liberty and his good that to deliuer him out of prison and from death he had spent his fortune and had exposed himselfe to many troubles and euen to the hazard of death and if the king should assigne that brother of the party for the Iudge of his cause with Soueraigne power to Iudge him without appeale what kind of fauour what clemency would it be which heerin should be vsed towards that man How full of ioy and comfort would he be vpō the naming of such a Iudge How confident and secure would he make himself that the sentence would be full of pitty and as fauourable to him as possible his cause might beare Well therfore since all men according to the c From which Christ our Lord his B. Mother
persons as long as they did perseuere they had signes in them of being predestinated and they who receaued not the fayth according to their then present state were wicked reprobate This did our Lord declare whē he sayd I came into this world that they who see not might se◠they who see might be blind Which was as much to say Vpon my comming did this iudgment follow and this distinction was made amongst men that many who in their soules were blind through ignorance and errour and vice and who did not see the truth nor did walke in the right way to heauen by beleeuing in me with a liuely fayth they I say might see the truth and follow it And that many others who saw and had knowledg of the Scriptures and did know the law and the Prophets who both in their own and in the peoples opinion estimation were held wise and had a spirituall light wherwith to looke into diuine things they I say for their pride and ingratitude should remaine blind and going astray from the right way should not find their errour and perdition Another diuine and most singular testimony which Christ our Lord hath giuen vs of the desire which he hath in this iudgment of his not to finde any sinnes which he might punish nor any sinners whom he should be so obliged to condemne is That d Let all Angells adore him for this inestimable benefit to men at his first comming he made a law which was to last till the end of the world wherby he gaue faculty to all sinners that during the whole tyme whilst their life should last they might passe a Iudgement vpon themselues acknowledging their sinns and accusing themselues therof with greefe and confessing them to a Priest who should hould the place of Christ our Lord and satisfying for them according to the iudgment of the same Ghostly father and that they performing this he would not in his Iudgment either cōdemne or punish them but would declare them to be not Guilty and would impart the kingdome of heauen to thē And that if hauing once passed this Iudgement vpon themselues they should yet return againe to sinne become abnoxious therby to eternall condemnation yet stil as long as their life should last they might returne to passe the same Iudgment vpon themselus as often as they would and that if they should do it according to e Confessing them all clearely with great sorrow firme purpose of amendmēt Truth he would not condemne them but would admit them into his company and make them happy O Iudgment which is so deerely sweet O Iudge who is so ful of mercy and how vnanswerable is it proued by this most pitteous Iudge that his intention and desire is not to punish but to pardon not to condemne but to absolue and saue since before he comes to passe his Iudgment he vseth so many meanes applyes so many remedies to the end that he may finde no sinnes to punish nor no sinners to condemne If an earthly Iudge had his prison ful of delinquents theeues murtherers and should make a kind of agreement and bargaine with them that f Consider seriously heerof admire the infinit goodnes of God in that wherein the blind world thinkes it hath hard measure namely in the Institution of the Sacrament of Confession euery one of them might choose what friend or kinsman of his owne he would and in secret should declare his offence to him deliuering to him the whole truth and vndergoing but that penalty which he should impose vpon him for the same And that vpon some day of the same yeare himselfe would come to the prison to Iudge them and that he would pronounce them to be free who had declared their offences to friend or kinsman of theirs who had performed the penalty which he had imposed and that he would only cōdemne those others who would not haue recourse to that remedy what would you say of this Iudge of this agreement You would say that there nether is nor euer was nor euer will be in the world any Iudge who sheweth or is to shew any such mercy nor who euer made or will euer make any such Capitulation with persons who had deserued to dye nor are there any laws on earth which can permit any such thinge And if there were any Iudge who would submit himselfe to the like cōdition there would no delinquent be found who would not ioyfully performe this agreement and so be declared for not guilty Well then Christ Iesus the Eternall Iudge and who is of infinite power and Maiesty doth shew this mercy to all such sinners as are worthy of eternall death And he hath made this bargaine and agreement with them all and that is yielded to by the laws of heauē which the laws of earth will not endure Let vs therfore serue our selues of this mercy let vs performe the articles of this agreement and let vs in tyme passe a Iudgment vpon our selues let vs confesse our sinnes with true sorrow let vs amend our liues to the end that when at the houre of our death in the particuler Iudgment and at the end of the world in the Vniuersal iudgment we shal come before this great Iudge he may find no sinnes to punish or condemne in vs. For it is sayd by S. Iohn the Apostle concerning this Lord 1. Ioan. 1. If we confesse our sins repenting our selues truly of them before God and his substitute God is iust and faithfull in fulfilling the promises and rewarding the meritts of Chri◅ our Sauiour and so he will pardon vs our sinnes through his merits and will cleanse vs from all wickednes as he hath promised O most vnhappy men who deferring to do pennance and to make amendment of their liues despise this mercy of God as S. Paul sayth by making ill vse thereof Rom. 2. And g Woe be to thē who will needes be wicked euen because God is so infinitely good by this meanes they treasure vp the wrath and punishment of God for themselues against the day of his wrath which is that of his Iudgement These lawes of mercy were not made nor are they proclaimed vnto men to the end that thereupon they should take such a wicked strange presumption to sinne but that if they haue sinned they should not be dismaid but that in hope of this diuine mercy they should instantly correct themselues and reforme their liues and obtaine pardon So doth the glorious Apostle S Iohn aduertise vs for hauing sayd That if we confesse our selues well God will pardon vs he instātly addeth this 1. Ioan. 2. These thinges haue I written to you my children to the end that you may not sinne but that you may fly from sinne at full speed but yet if any man do sinne we haue an Aduocate before the Father That is to say let him not be dismaid nor out
and serued The Sunne shall grow darke not as now it doth somtymes by naturall causes or in respect that any cloude may ouershadow it or because the Moone may cast it self betweene it and the earth as it hapneth in the case of an Eclipse but it is to be obscured by a supernaturall and miraculous cause and so it is to be vnderstood that for a while it shall loose the whole light it had The Moone shall also loose her light The Stars shall fall from heauen Ioel. 2. either because when they are without light it shall seeme to be as if they were fallen or els for that in very deed they shall dislodge themselues from that high firmament where they are fixt and for some tyme shall fall from thence and deteine themselues in the ayre till they returne againe into their place The powers of the heauen shal be moued that is those celestiall bodies with their naturall vertue shall tremble and so shift their places as in an earthquake the earth is wont to do or if it be vnderstood of Angells the meaning is how in that day they shall make some kind of spiritual demōstration motion of great admiratiō The Sea shal be troubled shal be moued in a most wōderful māner and with the waues thereof shall make such a hideous noyse as will astonish the whole world oppresse and afflict with excessiue feare and horrour the harts of mortall men will make them euen whither againe with woe The Earth shall tremble 2. Pet. 3. and shal be open in many partes and shall disclose euen the pits of hel The Ayre with the same Earth and Sea shall burne by that most ardent ouerflowing of fire which shall consume al the liuing bodyes of fishes beasts and men God in his law commanded the children of Israel Deut. c. 13. v. 20. that when they should be to fight against the Idolatours and Pagans who dwelt in the Land of Promise and whome he was pleased to punish for their sinnes not only that they should kill the men but euen the very beasts which did them seruice and so in particuler he b A sign of this truth in the old Testamēt exacted this of Saul when he went to fight against the Amalecites and because he did not punctually comply with this cōmandment but suffered some of the Cattle to liue God was offended Saul was punished 1. Reg. 3. Let vs now see why God did not content himselfe with causing the men who had sinned to be put to death but the beasts also which had no fault It was to make men vnderstand and feele that sinne is so great a mischeife and is so worthy to be abhorred and punisht and that God doth indeed so much abhor it that it is a most cōuenient thing not onely to punish sinners with eternall tormēts death but to destroy also and consume and as it were to chastice the creatures wherof they did serue help thēselues towards their sinnes Therfore is it that resoluing in the Vniuersall Iudgment to chastice the wickednes of all men in a most complete manner he will not content himselfe to deliuer ouer sinners themselues to those eternall ardours of fire those other immense paines of hell but to the creaturs also wherof they made some vse in sinning he giues as it were a kind of payne and punishment in detestation of the sins themselues as also to the end that they may be purged and cleered frō that indecency and deformity which grew to them by the seruice which they did to sinners For thus it is that the Sunne the Moone Stars which did illuminate sinners whilest they were committing their sinnes shal be depriued by him for a whyle of all the light beauty which they haue he shall conuert it into thick darknes And as for the Sea the Earth Ayre which gaue food to sinners did maintaine them whilest they were offending God he will make them as it were feare and tremble will depriue them for a tyme of the naturall quality and disposition they haue and will consume and kill all those liuing creatures and plantes which were the food of sinners and wil destroy al those buildings which were the habitation of wicked men And thus through the mutation demonstration desolation which in the Iudgment God will shew in al the creatures which serued sinners he doth teach and testify the infinite hatred which he hath against sin And he doth induce perswade vs that now through the knowledge of this truth we may be drawn to abhor detest them and that with a penitentiall holy life we may cleanse our soules as well as possibly we can frō al fault offence of his diuine Maiesty 2. Pet. 3. S. Peter c This truth is insinuated by S. Peter doth admonish vs of the good effect which we are to draw from the change which is to be made vpon the creatures by saying to this effect Since there is a day of the vniuersall Iudgement to come wherin all the creatures for hauing serued sinners are to be purged with fire and burnt inferre my brethren from hence how diligent and constant it is fit for you to be in the leading of a good life and how holily and purely you are to conuerse in this world and how vigilant and carefull it will becom you to be in performing the works of piety towards God and of mercy towards your Neighbour expecting with a liuely fayth that day of our Lord and approaching and drawing neere to him with speed not with paces of the body but with the desires affections of the soule desiring and louing this day and preparing to see your selues at that tyme accompanyed with purity of life and with the exercise of vertue CHAP. V. How Christ our Lord discouereth the hate which he carryeth towardes sin by the so particuler account which he taketh of them all ANOTHER mystery of this diuine Iudgement discouering the mighty demonstration and detestatiō which God doth expresse against the faults whereby he is offended is the so particuler accompt which he will take of vs which we all must giue of all the facultyes or powers al the senses both of our body and soule of all the creaturs which we haue vsed and a If you beleeue this point of fayth to be true I shall not need to wish you to looke wel about you of all the workes which we haue performed all the wordes which we haue spoken and all the thoughts which we haue conceaued how little soeuer they fall out to haue beene without leauing out so much as any one idle word or any one idle thought We shall giue accompt of how we imployed our Vnderstanding if we did set it on worke vpon the inquiry and search of God and his truth and in contemplating on him his holy Cōmandments and the workes of
diuine Iudgement when c Make this case thyne owne betymes for one day it wil be thy case whether thou wilt or no he shall see a Theater made round about him of all the creatures both of heauen and earth and that himselfe is placed in the middest of them that both all the Angells and men and Diuels are looking on him And when he shall obserue that his sinnes are published and proclaymed before them all and not only his wicked words and workes but euen all his bad desires and thoughts when he shall perceaue that all that lewdnes which he committed in the most retyred corners yea and those impurityes which did not so much as issue out of his hart shall then be cleare and patent to all the world To see that all those Diuels shal stand accusing him that his own very conscience is stil vpbraiding cōdemning him And to see the Iudge himselfe offended enraged against him and that he behoulds him with a countenance full of terrour and of reuenge for iniuryes receaued and to see that hideous pitt of hell all open in expectation to swallow him vp and to see himselfe so euidently conuinced that he hath no word to plead for himself And d A sad consideration but most certainely true that finding himselfe hemmed in by such an excesse of afflictions such incomparable miseryes he cannot fly away nor hath he any one hole wherein to hide his head nor any one thing to alleadge nor any one person to whome he may appeale or by whom he may be succoured For to defend himselfe against the Iudge is impossible since he is of infinite power To deceaue him with false informations cannot be since he is of infinite Wisedome To work vpon him by way of presents or petitions is not to be thought of since he is infinitely iust To goe in search after Patrons and Aduocats is losse of labour For in that day neither the Angels nor the Apostles can intercede for any one no nor euen the Queene e A heauy and most desperate case of heauen and the mother of mercy can plead the cause of sinners in that day The gate of pardon and sauing mercy is then closed vp against all the wicked all the iust and blessed soules shall approue of the diuine Iustice in that day and shall reioyce in that it is to be executed because so it is fit for the glory of God our Redeemer And then shal that be perfectly fullfilled which the Psalmist sayth Psalm 57. The Iust man seeing the punishment and vengeance which is to be taken vpon the wicked shall reioyce not for the payne which those sinners shall be subiect to nor out of any desire of reuenge but only for the zeale they haue to the glory of God for the loue they beare to his diuine Iustice CHAP. VII How Christ our Lord discouereth the grieuousnes of sinne and the hatred which he carryeth against it by the last sentence wherby he is to condemne the wicked and the punishment which he inflicteth vpon them ANOTHER Article of the diuine Iudgement which doth admirably discouer the excessiue hatred which Christ our Lord doth carry against sin is the last sentence which he will thunder out against the wicked As soone as he shall haue published their sinnes conuinced them thereof he wil deuide them from the company of the Iust and then turning his terrible and fierce countenance towardes them he will pronounce this most hideous sentence against them Depart a Our Lord deliuer vs from so great a misery from me you accursed into that eternall fire which is prepared for the Diuell and the wicked Angells Depart from me who am an infinite good and the fountaine of all benediction of grace of comfort of ioy of life of saluation of glory If then they be deuided from that only fountaine of al Good what kind of miserable thinges will they find themselues to be It is plaine that they must find themselues without comfort without grace without ioy without repose or ease and ful on the contrary side of all misery of all mischiefe of all paine Depart all you accursed because cursed are they who breake the Commandments of the true God for the greatest ill of all ill is sin and to this ill do they submit themselues who do any thing against that which our Lord cōmāds So sayth Dauid so doth the church sing euery day when she speakes to God Cursed are they O Lord who depart from keeping of thy Cōmandments Psal 118. In particuler manner are they accursed in the Law who doe not offer the first fruits and tithes of those things which God had giuen to them Matt. 3.1 and cursed also are those others who hauing promised some beast in sacrifice to Almighty God do offer him such a one as is leane and lame and worth nothing Into all these curses haue you fallen because you haue broken the Commandmēts of God and gaue him not the honour and glory of all the good deeds which once you wrought nor of all the benefits which you receaued And hauing consecrated and dedicated your soules to our true God by Fayth and Baptisme and being obliged to giue him the best and chiefe part thereof which is your loue and obedience fidelity and a watchfull care to doe him seruice you did not giue this to God but to the world and to your owne will and for these reasons you are indeed accursed and your selues are the authors of your malediction Let b Be attentiue to see whither the wicked are to be sent whē they are once driuen from God vs now consider whither it is that he sends them when once he driues them from himselfe Go saith he you accursed into euerlasting fier because in this life you sought for contentments for delights and gusts according to your owne will against the will of God you shal now be burnt body and soule with a most furious and impetuous fier against your will And because by sinning you haue offended and despised God who is infinite Good and an infinite Maiesty that fier shall be infinite in the continuance therof And who now shal be the ministers of Iustice to torment these accursed creatures And with what companions shall they be sorted in that torment of eternall fire Go saith our Lord into eternal fire which is prepared for the diuell and his wicked Angells For the principall authors of any wickednes the punishement is principally to be prouided and because the deuill was the first author of sinne therfore was the torment of eternall fier prouided first for him And because wicked men did follow the deuill in the fault they shall follow him also in the paine And because they chose to obey the perswasion will of the deuill rather then the commaundement and will of God they shall therfore haue him for their tormentor and
companion in that euerlasting fier O what kind of paine what kind of torment is this which is prepared for the wicked O what an c It is sad swimming in this sea huge Sea of paines and torments is this so very incomprehensible tho rough the intensenes and fiercenes and so infinite in the continuance therof The thing which in this life doth most of all torment and doth cause most excessiue paine is fire But the fire of this life doth worke after a limitted manner according to the naturall power which it hath it cannot passe beyonde those confines Wheras the fire of hell howsoeuer it be of the same nature with this of ours yet worketh it as a supernaturall instrument of God and so it receiues no other tax or limit but the onely will of God And d An excellent consideration as the thinges which God doth take for Instruments whereby he sheweth mercy to such as serue him are sublymed by himselfe aboue the power which they had in nature and are enabled to produce admirable effects As namely he exalteth the water of baptisme so farre as to be the instrument of iustifying a soule and the Balsamum of Confirmation and the Oyle of Extreme Vnction to giue strength and increase of grace so the fire of hell which is so deadly fierce of his owne nature is supernaturally strecht vp to inflict a kind of paine and torment which is incomparably more great and fierce then that to which the whole power of nature can arriue And so it shall not onely torment the body but the soule with all And it shall not leaue anie one part or power either of body or soule vntormented and the torment greife which it will cause shal be greater then all which either we can say or thinke The Prophet e Reade and tremble Isay doth signify thus much when he saith Isai 30. That Topheth which is hell is prepared for the wicked by God the eternall king from the begining of the world It is mightily deepe for it is in the very Center of the earth It is mightily wide and capable for the receiuing of all such as shal be damned The nourishment and food which shall maintaine it is fier which shall neuer be quencht as euen heere the fier doth neuer go out if alwaies it haue matter to intertaine it for the breath of God as if it were some torrent of brimstone doth inflame it His meaning is that as a mighty quantity of brimstone will inflame this fier which we haue as longe as the brimstone lasteth so longe doth the fyre also last iust so the will of God will kindle that fier of Hell and as his will is eternall so the fier can neuer haue an end Now this fire being supernaturally so fierce and furious to torment and burne the wicked will not also faile to be very f How conbustible the wicked shall be in the last day well disposed and prepared to be tormented and burnt Therefore doth the Prophet Malachy say Malac. 4. That they shal be like straw The day of our Lord sayth he shall come burning like a fornace of fire such as are proud withall the workers of wickednes shall be like straw to be inflamed and the fire of that place shall burne them And S. Iohn Baptist saith that they shall be as straw when he telleth vs that Christ our Lord shal come to iudge He shall carry saith he in his hand his Fanne and like a labourer he shall cleanse his barn which is his Church and he shall lay vp in his granaryes his cleane and choice corne which are the iust the straw which is the wicked he shall cast into vnquenchable fire This chaffe and straw are thinges which be easily kindled by the fire they make a mighty flame and so the wicked are made apt and well disposed by the diuine iustice to be burnt in that eternall fire both in body and soule But yet although they shall be burnt like chaffe and straw and to be penetrated by the fire from side to side yet are they neuer to be consumed but they shall liue for euer and for euer shall their paine endure The wicked man shall pay for his sinnes sayth Sophar the friend of Iob Iob. 20. but he shall not be consumed nor shall he loose either his being or his life D. Thom. in additionibus q. 74. This fire to which Christ our Lord will deliuer the wicked is to be increased by that other fire which shall come before him and wherewith as hath been said he will purge all the inferiour creatures And he will also purge those iust persons whome he shall finde aliue when he comes to iudge which persons shal dye by that forerunning fire and in a very short tyme they shal be purged they are to rise with all the rest And this very g Marke now or neuer fire when once the sentēce shal be giuen will wrap vp all the wicked both in body and soule and the earth opening it selfe in many places that fier shall discend with them all through those ouertures of the earth into the bottomles pitt of hell and the earth shall then shut vp it selfe some do hould that the waters shal then returne to couer the earth as they did when God first created thē Titelm l. 7. de Caelo c. 4. Ia◅el l. 4. Meteor For the cause of his discouering the earth from vnder the waters was to giue conuenient habitation to men and beasts and that cause growing once to cease the waters shall return into their due place and the wicked shall remaine locked vp in the center of the earth enuironed vpon all sids with that fire of hell And h The braue spirits of our tyme will be mightily to seek when they come hither being couered first with the whole globe of the earth and next with the profoundnes of the Sea they are neuer to get out from that lamētable place and that euerlasting fire For as S. Iohn affirmeth Apoc. 20.14 They shal be tormented in it day and night for all eternity Nor shall this torment of fire whereby the wicked are to be tormented go alone but togeather with that they shall suffer other most bitter paines whereof euery one wil be a kind of hell to the damned They shall haue such a cruell and fierce rage of hunger i The deadly hunger of hell that if it were possible they would teare in peeces and eate themselues and this so raging hunger they shall euer feele in all the moments of their tyme nor shall they euer be at peace Withall they shall haue a most k The scalding thirst of hell scalding thirst which will afflict them in all extremity If a man who were sicke of a burning feuer should be for some dayes denyed a draught of water towardes the appeasing of his thirst he would feele so much torment
would be a long b That is it wold haue beene longe for Christ our Lord to haue spoken of all a mans sinnes in that speach of his busines did only speak of such as go for the lightest vpon which men vse to make the least reflection wherby all men may gather and inferre concerning those other great sins for which he is to passe the sentence of condemnation vpon the wicked And this following circumstance a man is to consider and ponder euen in the very bottome of his hart If c A most necessary consequēce which deserues to be deeply pondered these sins of Omission and negligence in the performing of the workes of mercy which in reason and in the estimation and iudgment of all men are the lightest of all mortall sins be yet neuertheles so abhorred by Almighty God as that in the vniuersall Iudgment he doth publish them in a particuler manner as being very grieuous and worthy of eternall condemnation and will complaine against them as against faults which are full of iniury and affront against his diuine and eternal Maiesty and will proceed against such as fell into them as against his enemies and will excommunicate them as cursed people dryuing them away for euer out of his company and the communion of the Church triumphant and will deliuer them ouer into euerlasting fiers and will execute the same paines vpon them which are suffred by the very Diuells themselues in whose infernall company they are to be tormented that for euer what will he not be sure to do to wicked men for the sins of cōmission wherby they offend their neighbours which are more expresse sinnes and wherin there is more malice shewed and which are committed by men vpon more deliberation If the ouersights and voluntary negligences in not giuing bread to him who is hungry or drinke to him who is thirsty or clothes to him who is naked or visits to him who is sicke imprisoned in cases when piety doth oblige men to it are yet so abhorred by Christ our Lord and so seuerely punished what will he do to men for those impieties when a sinfull man will take from another the goods which he had honestly gayned and if he robb him or vsurpe it otherwise by vnlawfull and vnconscionable waies and for those other sins when one man takes the health and life from another by wounding and killing him or doing it at least in his desire and when he depriues him of his honour and good name by murmurations detractions and reproaches or when he takes from him his wife or his daughter or his kinswoman by fornications or adultries or the like And d The spirituall workes of charity are of farre more importance then the corporall if negligence in releeuing the corporall necessities of ones neighbor when there is comodity for the same be so abhorred and punished by Allmighty God how much more will he abhorre and punish any slacknes in releiuing the necessities of soules by teaching the ignorant those things which are necessary to saluation by reprehending their vices and by admonishing and exhorting them to a good life in cases of necessity and obligatiō Thus doth the blessed Laurētius Iustinianus ponder this truth in these words Laurent Iustin l. de humili◅ If Christ our Lord in his Iudgment do so exactly and precisely examine chastice the faults which are comitted in failing to shew those works of mercy which are expressed towards the bodies of men which dye what kind of examen and what kind of punishment wil he impose vpon their faults who forbeare to shew the spirituall works of mercy which they ought to haue imparted for the saluation of soules which are immortall Let him that readeth this conceaue rightly and be well assured that there is no doubt but that as this latter fault is greater so shal the examen be more rigorous the punishment more seuere And if the denying of any spirituall benifit which is due to his neighbour for the good of his soule be a fault of so high quality how much more will it be so to rob the soule of life by giuing it wicked Counsell and by teaching it false doctrine and by inducing it to vice by all perswasions and lewd examples Let the good Christian passe on and consider ponder yet more deepely that the sins which are e Sinnes cōmitted immediatly against God are the greatest of all others committed imediately against God such as are the crimes of infidelity of seuerall kinds of superstitions and blasphemies and Sacriledges in breaking vowes and promises made to God and of periuries which draw God as a witnes of lyes and falshood be greater sins then they which are committed against our neighbours and consequently the hatred which God doth carry against them and the punishment which he wil execute for them is incomparably greater From f The true vse which is to be made of this consideration hence the Christian man will gather the great necessity that he is in to abhor in a most profound internall manner all kinde of sins and to flye them with a most watchfull care to feare them with his whole hart For if the lighter sort of sinnes and they wherof men are wont to make least accompt are so publikely to be recorded reproued in that diuine iudgment to be sentenced as worthy of condemnation and punished with eternall torments the case is plaine that the sins which are more greiuous and in greater hurt preiudice of our neighbours and they againe which are of more imediate iniury and affront to God himselfe shal be proclaimed in that diuine iudgment to the greater confusion of sinners they shal be more sharply rebuked by Christ our Lord and more grieuously punished And although the other torments were also eternall yet these shal be greater and more intense then they For this truth was reuealed to S. Iohn by the Holy Ghost who sayth Apoc. 18. So much as the wicked man hath glorified himselfe and hath deliuered himselfe ouer to vicious pleasure and so much more as he presumed of himselfe and lifted vp his face of pride against God affronting his diuine Maiesty with greater sins and so much more as he yeilded obedience to vice in contradiction to the law of God so much greater torment shal be imposed vpon his body and so much more greife and sorrow shall be inflicted vpon his soule CHAP. IX How a Christian is to draw a detestation of sinne out of the consideration of this Iudgement of God and great vigilancy in the leading of a good life THESE a For Iesus sake read ouer this Chapter with sober and sound attention are the points and articles of that diuine Iudgment which discouer to vs the hatred that God doth carry against sinne And these we are to consider with great attention that so we also may gather this fruit out of the diuine Iudgement to
al things they dispose themselues to consider the diuine IudgmeÌ„t so to know the better and as it were to feele the greiuousnes of sinne and the punishment that falls vpon it and the much that God abhors it so to procure a sorrow and hatred of sinne as being an offence of God and to feare it much and to fly from it with great care as being contrary to his diuine will and so exercysing this chast feare which is an effect fruit of diuine loue he exerciseth loue with all which is the cause of that feare for this it is that we haue said that the iust man exercising this filiall feare doth not loose the least graine of the excellency and merit of his loue and that the exercise of filiall feare is not lesse pious and acceptable to God then that of loue For in fine this is the feare of Saints to all whome the Psalmist speakes by saying Psal 33. O all yow Saints feare our Lord. And this is that feare which hath for a reward That it obteyneth of God what it will as the Psalmist doth also witnes saying Psal 140. God will fullfill the will of them that feare him and will heare their praâ—ers granting all which they aske To b True hope riseth out of filiall Feare conclude this is that feare which maketh men happy in this life through the liuely hope and pledge it giues of glory in the other life it will giue the possession therof For a truth it is deliuered by the holy Ghost Prou. 28. Blessed is the man who alwaies liues in the holy feare of God CHAP. XIIII Of the fauours which Christ our Lord will do to the good at the day of Iudgement and of the Ioy which they shall conceaue by seeing the signes which precede that Iudgment and by beholding the glory of the Crosse which shall go before Christ our Lord. GREAT are the benefits which we find in that diuine Iudgment the fruits which we gather thence by our considering that which Christ our Lord will shew vpon the wicked For as we haue declared it doth cleerly discouer the greiuousnes of sinne and how mightily it is abhorred by our Lord God and it moueth vs to a hatred and a feare therof But yet greater are the blessings which we find in the Iudgement of God and the profit which we reap from theÌ„ce by considering that which Christ our Lord will then do for his seruants the fauours which he will impart and the felicity which he will communicate For in this doth he discouer his goodnes and the much that he loueth such as are good and the estimation which he makes of vertue he awaketh and prouoketh vs much to loue him and he doth animate and incourage vs much to labour hard in his seruice and that for the pleasing of him and complying with his holy will we must imploy our selues in all kind of vertue Let vs therfore go declaring the fauors which Christ our Lord will impart to the good in this his Iudgment to the end that we may gather this fruite from thence A great a How differeÌ„tly the same things do worke vpon the good and the bad benefit and fauour shall it be for the good that those very signes which are to precede the diuine Iugdment as namely the darkening of the Sunne the Moone Starres the swelling vp of the Sea the opening of the earth withal the rest which are to strike such excessiue horrour into the wicked and will cause in them such an extreme affliction and dismay so far as that they shall goe like persons euen distracted and mad with griefe shal euen be dryed vp and withered thorough the deadly paine and sorrow which they shal receaue as our Lord himselfe declareth saying Luc. 21. Men shall whither with the feare they will be in of those miseryes which they expect and of which those signes are the forerunners That these very signes I say shal giue to those iust men the seruants of God whome they shall find aliue great strength courage great confidence and security in God shall cause them great alacrity and comfort and they shall go all refresh't and fully at ease as being animated with a new spirit of hope and ioy For b The great reasons which good men haue to be glad of death and the day of Iudgment iust men who cordially doe loue Almighty God do much desire to leaue the miserable estate of this life where God is so many wayes offended and when themselues cannot forbeare to fal into some defects which although they be light veniall yet for as much as they goe against the will of God they feele theÌ„ much and much paine by them where they also find that they haue many impedimentes to keepe them from communicating with God from louing him and tasting him as they desire These persons do extremely couet the state of immortality glory where they shall most perfectly both in body and soule enioy the fauours and benedictions of God as the Apostle declareth c The sense is of the B. Apostle and it is opened and explained by our Authour saying Rom. 8. We know that all creatures that is to say all the whole machine of the world which conteyns all the sensible creaturs is groaning vnder the weight and mutability and corruption which it is subiect to And as a woman who being in labour of her child doth expect to bring him forth so doth it remaine with a kind of wearines and griefe from the very first beginning of the world till this instant desiring hoping to see it self free from this corruption and mutability to be all renewed according to the imitation and resemblance of that glorious liberty of the sonnes of God And we the disciples seruants of Christ our Lord who haue receaued the chiefe and first fruits gifts of the holy Ghost doe sigh groan withal the affectioÌ„ of our harts towards the perfect complete adoptioÌ„ of the sonnes of God which is the glory not only of our soules but euen of our bodyes also whereby the whole man shall be deliuered from all mortality and corruption and from all euill inclination concupiscence and shall perfectly enioy both in body and soule the redemption which was wrought by Christ our Lord. This is of the Apostle And for as much as this desire is of iust persons and that in it selfe it is so very internall and so vehement when they shall see the signes of the diuine Iudgement they shal know that the tyme is then close at hand wherein that desire of theirs is to be satisfyed and when they are to be possessed of that happy state and wherein they are to be free both in body and soule froÌ„ all corruption and misery both of sin and pennance And they shall be ful of glory in their soules and their bodyes being adorned
wherwith they abouÌ„d and the wicked he calleth Goates for their barrennes in doing any thing that is good and for the ill odour of their vices and the impetuousnes of their passions to which they are subiect Three things there are which do principally afflict and torment the good when they are in company of the bad First they see before their eyes many and great offences committed against God and they are not able to preuent them This a He that finds not this griefe in his hart is not so much in loue with God as he perhaps conceaues is a greiuous torment and the more they loue God the fulfilling of his lawe so much greater is the griefe which they conceaue by seeing him offended and it despised This did S. Peter explicate when he said of Lot 2. Pet. 2. That he was a iust man as such he could not indure to see sins coÌ„mitted and yet he dwelt among such men as tormented his very soule by their sins Another thing which afflicteth good men when they liue and conuerse with such as are wicked is the danger b Thou little knowest the extrem danger into which ill company doth cast thee wherin they are of loosing the vertue which they haue For as the example of the good doth induce men to the loue of vertue so doth the example of the wicked to the loue of vice For this cause did the Apostle say to the CorinthiaÌ„s who were men of vertue 1. Cor. 15. Do not suffer your selues to be deceiued depart from the coÌ„pany and communication of the wicked for euill wordes do preiudice and corrupt goodworkes and so make men bad of good For as much therfore as d The more vertuous meÌ„ are the lesse they presume vpon theÌ„selues good men do vnderstand their owne frailty they do greately apprehend their spirituall hurt therfore do they feele great paine by running hazard of falling into such a thing as sinne which they do so much abhorre The third thing which afflicteth good men who finde themselues in the company of wilfull sinners is feare to be punished ioyntly with them For although in this life God doth not punish the soule of one for the sins of another yet e The iudgmeÌ„ts of God are sometymes secret but they are euer iust it happeneth that for as much as concerneth temporall things God sendeth punishment sometymes to some who are good for the sins of other with whoÌ„e they liue As he did to the Children of Israell Iosu 7. who for the sins of Acham who tooke some parte of the enemies spoyles against the commaundment of God retyred his hand of succour from them all and discontinued the strength which he had giuen them and so they were subdued and slaine by their enemies And God declared that he sent that punishmeÌ„t for the sinne of Acham saying The children of Israel shall not be able to resist their enemyes but they shall flye from before their face because they are polluted by his sinnes who tooke that which was solemnely forbidden I will no more declare my selfe in fauour of you till you punish him And so Acham being punished God returned againe to shew them fauour Now this course of Gods punishing in temporall things some one for the sins of another may be taken by Almighty God without the least iniustice to any one because he is the absolute Lord of all things and he doth whatsoeuer he doth vpon perfect reason to declare as S. Austine sheweth Augu. in Iosue q. â— what a wicked thing sinne is and how profoundly it is hated by him D. Thom. 2. â—…q 108. art 4. And this is to be vnderstood when the good who liue amongst the wicked do not yet participate with them in their sins for when they do partake or consent therin and doe f It is no smal 〈◊〉 for a 〈◊〉 not to â—…prehenâ— sinne in due tyme place not reprehend or correct them as they ought then God doth not onely chastise them in temporall things as of the body or goods but also in those other which concerne the soule and that not onely in this life but in that of the other also according to the quality of the fault These are the things which put good men in paine when they are in coÌ„pany of the wicked And so it wil be a most singular benefit and of supreme consolation and ioy for the good to see themselues separated that for euer from the society of the wicked And to knowe soe cleerly that then no longer they shall be able to see with their eyes nor to heare with their eares in those eternall habitations of theyrs any thing at all which may be of the least offence to God But that whatsoeuer they shall either heare or see is to be nothing els but the praising and glorifying of his diuine Maiesty with supreme perfection And to knowe that then they shall not be able to haue so much as any occasion or daunger of it nor that there shall be any one in heauen who may giue them example of sinne by deed or perswade them to it by word For all they whom there they are to haue for companions that for euer are to be Saints and so truly Saints that they shall neuer cease not so much as for one little single moment from louing God with the very highest top of all perfection from doing the holy will of God in all thinges with vnspeakable comfort and ioy And yet further to know that then they are free for euer from all kind of punishment from all danger to suffer any For as for any sinnes of their owne they cannot be punished for any such because they can commit none and as for the sinnes of others they cannot be punished for them because they haue not nor cannot haue the company of any such as can sinne But on g How euery one of the Elect will ioy in the glory of each other the other side they are to haue an augmentation of glory for the most holy society which they shall enioy of the Blessed through whose glory their glory also shall increase For the immense ardour of loue wherewith they will be carryed to God will be the cause why they shal take particuler gust in that loue wherwith euery one of those blessed soules shall glorify loue Almighty God And so also the supreme loue which euery one of the same blessed soules shall beare ech other wil mak theÌ„ receaue particuler ioy by euery one in particuler O most blessed creatures who are to liue in such a society and who are to enioy such a communication of felicity for all eternity If it be a great benediction to enioy the society of good men heere on earth what kind of blessednes will it be to enioy the company of blessed soules If it be a matter of much profit and comfort to participate in the communication of
the guifts of grace what kind of profit what kind of comfort will it be to haue communication with so many Saints both men and Angells in the guifts of glory O with how much reason is it sayd Psal 23. Blessed are they O Lord who dwell in thy house they shall prayse thee there through the eternity of all eternityes Amen CHAP. XVI Of the fauour which Christ our Lord imparteth to his seruants at the day of Iudgment by giuing them his benediction and communicating his kingdome to them THIS benefit and fauour is followed by another which yet is greater For the good being once separated from the wicked being plac't vpon the right hand of Christ our Lord this celestiall King shall cast towards them his most gracious countenance being all full of suauity and delight And passing his sentence of fauour on them he will say Come yee blessed of my Father The benediction of God is the good guift of God and so to be blessed by him is to be filled withal those good gifts and graces which God communicates to his seruants That is withal those principall benefits which the Saints haue heere on earth when once they are made pure and cleane from all imperfections and withall those others also which the Angells doe possesse in heauen which is more with all those goods graces which the King of heauen himselfe doth possesse and enioy For as S. Iohn affirmeth 1. Ioan. 3. When he shall appeare we shall be made like to Iesus Christ our Lord participating of his power of his beauty of his wisedome of his goodnes of his ioy of his glory He a How grace and glory proceed from God the Father and how also from the other persons of the most B. Trinity calleth them Bl ssed of his Father to declare the fountayne first ofspring from whence all the benefits of grace and glory spring and this is the eternall Father and besides because all that which the Father operateth is also the worke of God the Sonne as he is God as also it is the worke of God the holy Ghost For the Diuinity the Goodnes and the Power is the very same in all the three Persons and to attribute them all to the Father as to the first Authour of all that is good is to offer them also to the Sonne as he is God and it is also to offer them to the holy Ghost who is one God with the Father and the Sonne O happy men who are to receaue such a benediction A benediction giuen by Christ our Lord in the face of heauen and earth of all the creaturs A benediction authorized by all the most Blessed Trinity as the Authour and fountaine of the same A benediction which comprehendes all the chiefe guifts of grace al the guifts of glory A benediction full of benefits vnspeakable most high and truly heauenly which containe all the most chiefe and choice part of heauen A Benediction of eternall benefit A Benediction irreuocable which can neuer be changed as long as God shall be God! O how highly is this benediction to be esteemed O how much is it to be desired procured which maketh men so truely happy as our Lord himselfe declareth saying Come and possesse the kingdome which is prepared for you from the beginning of the world Kingdoms b The great differences which are betweene an earthly a heauenly kingdom dominions you had on earth but temporall kingdoms dominions they were of little valew cōfort or ratherful of miseries whatsoeuer they were they are now growne to an end Laying aside those miserable kingdomes which already are ended come and possesse another kingdome which is celestiall full of incomparable happines a kingdome of infinite value a kingdome which eternally shall contynue And although euery one of you is to be a king of this kingdome and is to raigne and possesse the same yet the kingdom is still but one For all of you are to be subiect and obedient but it is to be with supreme loue to this Soueraigne King in whose company you are to raigne And because all of you are to be of one hart and of one will vnited by most perfect loue in such sort that the blessings belonging to any one in particuler to be of you all so farre forth as to reioyce therin and they of you all to be of euery one to reioyce with them to whome in particuler they belonge this kingdome is also to be but one Yet still though this kingdome be but one you shall all be kings and you all shall raigne For the kingdome is infinite in the greatnes of the felicity which is possest therin and it is infinite also in the contynuance since it is eternall And to the end that you may discerne the altitude of this kingdome and the great affection wher with it is giuen you Behould it hath bene prepared for you since the beginning of the world The election c Of our election to the kingdom of heauen and the preparation which is made for vs toward the same of the inhabitants of this kingdome was made before the world was created for they were chosen and predestinated from all eternity to raigine therin But the preparing of those things which concerne this kingdome and the putting of those meanes in practice which had relation to the obteyning therof did begin at the beginning of the world From that tyme were framed those most sumptuous pallaces those most beautifull habitations and those most glorious seats and thrones where the inhabitants of this kingdom were to liue raigne Then were created and were made happy those first Cittizens of this kingdom which are the Angels who were to keepe men company therin and to augument the glory which men were to possesse in this kingdome And so also from the first begining of the world ther were gifts of graces which came to be communicated to men wherby they were to obteyne this kingdome And for God to create man and withal to communicate iustice grace to him wherby he might procure this kingdome all that was done at once from that tyme to this nothing hath beene done but to dispose and help men giue them meanes that they might come to possesse and perfectly inioy this kingdome in glory both of body and soule This is that most blessed sentence which Christ our Lord will giue in fauour of his seruants that being done he will instantly rayse them vp togeather with himselfe and will inuest them with the most glorious possession of his celestiall kingdome CHAP. XVII Of the felicity which Christ our Lord will communicate to his seruants in the kingdome of heauen LET a A most excellent most sweet most profound yet most plaine description of the ioyes of heauen throughout this whole Chapter vs yet more particulerly cōtemplate the Maiesty of this kingdome which Christ our Lord imparteth to
his seruants and of that felicity which is possest therein to the end that we may gather that fruit which it is fit for vs to feed vpon which is nothing els but the disposing of our selues to the obtayning of this kingdome by an imitation of the vertues of Christ our Lord. And b The place of the kingdome of glory first the scituation and place of this kingdome is that supreme heauen which for the glorious brightnes and splendor which is found therein is called Empyreal The altitude and capacity and beauty admirable designe the grace and suauity of this place though it be such as no tongue of flesh and bloud can declare yet to giue vs to vnderstand some part of that which there is found by a comparison of those thinges which heere we know S. Iohn describes it in the Reuelations after this manner Apoc. 21. 22. He was carryed in spirit to a mountaine which was great and very high and he saw that holy Hierusalem the celestiall Citty full of the clarity of God all built of perfect pure and most resplendent gould like cleane pure glasse It had a wall about it of Iaspar both very thicke and very high the foundations wherof were adorned with pretious stone In this wal were twelue gates and euery one of them was made of a most pretious pearle and that pearle alone did make the gate This Citty had within a very spacious open place all paued with gold most pure most resplendent in the midst of that place there was a riuer of infinite sweetnes A Temple also there was to adorne this Citty and a light to illuminate it and this Temple and Light was God himself and therfore it must needs be farre from hauing any necessity of any other Temple or Light By these wordes S. Iohn describeth the scituation of the Kingdome of heauen and the habitation of the Saints And although it be true that there are not there any of those mettalls of gold or siluer or any of these pretious stones of earth for all these thinges are poore and base and of no valew yet c We who are sensible creatures as well as spirituall must be raised towards spirituall things by such as are sensible and therefore the vse of ceremonyes and Images is very necessary he deliuereth himselfe thus that by those thinges which are the most pretious and beautifull of the earth the soule may rise to consider the greatnes beauty of heauenly thinges vnderstanding euer that those are incomparably better then these And as the whole globe of the heauens is so far exceeding the earth in greatnes that the whole earth is but as a point or in effect as nothing in comparison of the heauens so is it in all the rest as well as in greatnes And all the brightnes and beauty and sweetnes of thinges of this world being compared with those of heauen are as if they had not so much as the least being at all So that the aduantage which the habitation of heauen doth carry beyond this of the earth is such that it exceedeth all comparison For in fine such it is as is fit to be carryed by the house of the Creatour in respect of a creatures house and by the Citty of God in respect of the Citty of men and by that sphere of felicity and eternall ioy in respect of this Center of miseryes and this valley of teares The d Mans supreme happynes consisteth in the vision of God chiefe felicity which is enioyed in this soueraigne Citty by cleare vision is God himselfe His seruantes sayth S. Iohn Apoc. 22. in this Citty of God shal see his face What vnspeakable happines what Abisse what immense kind of sea of all felicity will it be to looke the Diuinity of God in the face without the interposition or interpretation of any creature To e A most sweet explication of the most blessed Trinity see that diuine essence in three persons and three diuine persons in one and the selfe same essence to see the power of the Father the wisedome of the Sonne the goodnes of the holy Ghost To see how the Father from all eternity engenders the Sonne communicating to him his diuinity and how the Father and the Sonne as one the same eternall spring or roote do by spiration giue proceeding to the holy Ghost and communicate their diuine essence to him To see how all the perfection of God is in euery one of the three diuine persons and how al the perfectiō that any one of the diuin persons hath the very same is possessed by either of the other diuine persons What kind of incomparable ioy wil that be so cleerely to behould an infinite Good which is all amiable all ful of infinite beauty of suauity and of delight And not only to see it in some manner which might be lesse excellent but to behould it with the eyes of an incorruptible soule and they most brightly clarifyed by the light of glory euerlastingly to loue it without ceasing that with a most perfect loue and to possesse it with a perpetuity of security After f Of knowledge Loue and Ioy and how they grow out of one another the rate of the knowledge of any thinge growes the loue to be and after the rate of the loue is the ioy for that which is so much beloued and that knowledge which the Saints haue of God being the greatest which can possibly be had since it is the cleare sight of God the loue must also be so great as that greater cannot be conceaued The g The motiues of loue soule is moued to loue a thing which it knowes because it is good because it is beautifull because it is profitable because it is delightfull because it concernes the soule and is after a sort belonging to it And so much more as that thing is good more beautifull more profitable more delightfull more concerning it and more belonging to it so much more doth the soule if it know that thing well and be hindered by no impediment at all delight in it and loue it with a more intense and perfect loue Well then since all these reasons and tytles motiues of loue are found to be in God with infinite perfection and the soule cleerly seeing God and meeting with no impediment which may hinder loue with what loue so intense and so immense will it be sure to loue him By h The riuers of ioy which ouerflow a soule which is in glory seeing that he is infinite goodnes there is ingēdred in the soule a most copious riuer of loue By seeing that he is infinite beauty there is produced in it another most abundant riuer of loue By seeing how full of aduantage it hath bene and is and euer will be to the soule and that in some sorte it is euen infinite there flowes from the soule another riuer of loue so wide and
our Lord coÌ„municateth to his seruantes in his heauenly kingdome and of the fruit of gratitude which we must gather from the Consideration of this reward BESIDES these benefits which are the chiefe there are others yet which are enioyed by happy soules in the kingdome of heauen which are also of inualuable value and of incomparable ioy One of them is to be in coÌ„pany of the Blessed where there is such a multitude of a The incomprehensible number of the Angels Angelicall spirits distinguished into nine Quires as that they are in greater number then all the men which haue beene which are and which shall euer be yea more then all the corporeall creatures of the whole world put togeather And where there are so many Patriarkes and Prophets and Apostles and Apostolicall men and Martyrs and Confessours and Virgins and so many others who by pennance haue made their way to heauen whom S. Iohn who saw them in a Reuelation sayth Apoc. 7. to be so many as that they cannot be numbred And b The dignity excellency of those celestiall inhabitants all of them are the sonnes of God and Grandes in the Court of God and Kings in the kingdome of heauen and all of them most perfect in vertue and most sanctifyedly wise and most beautifull and full of immense glory and all of them so well content and at ease that they desire nothing but what they haue because they haue as much as possibly they can desire And c What a noble conuersation will this be notwithstanding that they are so very high in dignity and glory yet withall euery one of them is most profoundly humble all affable and milde and of most sweet condition And being so innumerable as they are they yet doe all know one another much better and in a more intrinsecall manner then a man on earth can euer arriue to know himselfe And they all do treate and communicate with one another and they loue one another with such a loue as doth incomparably exceede the loue which any Mother can beare to a child For in them all there is but one affection and will which is that of God by the vnion and conformity of will which euery one hath with his and the felicity of all euery one esteemeth as his owne and the glory of euery one in particuler is held as proper to euery one And d Euery one of them hath excessiue ioy in the glory of any other so euery one of the Blessed hath as many particuler ioyes as there are Angels Saints in heauen For euery one of them reioyceth at the others good as at his owne and he enioyeth the ioy of another as his owne ioy and so much more will one happy soule be glad of the glory of any other as he shall see God to be more glorifyed in that other But amongst all the e The inestimable ioy which euery of the Blessed haue in behoulding and treating with the all immaculate Mother of God Blessed whether they be Angells or meere men and women the creature who doth more enoble and engrandize and delight and make happy that most glorious court of heauen is the most sacred Virgin Mary that Lady that Queene that most deerly diuinely sweet enamoured mother of theÌ„ all For she is the true naturall mother of him who created them all who redeemed them all and who indued them all with that beatitude They all are great they all are most sublimely happy but this Lady is more great more happy and more glorious then they all together All of them do ardeÌ„tly loue one another and they all conuerse and behould ech other with admirable sweetenes and they are all a cause of excessiue ioy and glory to one another But f And woe will be to theÌ„ who do not loue honour and admire and serue this soueraign Queene this soueraign Queene loues them al and euery one of them as her deerest Children and as her brethren and companions and as the louing members of Iesus Christ our Lord who is her naturall sonne And she behoulds them all with most gratious most amorous eyes and she treates communicates with them all with a most incomparable sweetenes and by that presence and communication of hers she causeth in euery one of them farre more ioy and farre more glory then any other creature doth This blessed life and this company of the blessed is described by the Prophet Isay Isa 60. speaking partly of the militant Church but principally of the triumphaÌ„t which is that celestial Hierusalem in these wordes There shall neuer be in thee O thou Soueraigne Citty and thou land of the liuing any sinne or punishement nor any newes or noyse therof Insteed of paine thou shalt haue perfect eternal health insteed of sinne thou shalt haue the continuall euerlasting exercise of the loue of God Our Lâ—rd God shall be al in all to thee thy Sunne and thy Moone and thy light and thy glory and all thy good And aâ—l the elect are to make vppe in thee a people and a most glorious and blessed common wealth to the end that all together may eternally enioy the inheritance of those celestiall benedictions And let vs see since there are to be so many inhabitants in that soueraigne Citty and since euery iust person is to be a Cittizen therof if there may there be found any one who is weake or impotent or who is subiect to the least disgust The Prophet doth instantly proceed and say The least of them al shal be so full of power as that he may stand for a thowsand of the strongest men and the little one shall stand for a mighty Army That is to say euery one of the Blessed shall participate so much of God and shall finde God to be so truely his as that whatsoeuer he haue a mind to do for that he shall haue sufficient power And whatsoeuer felicity he shall desire the same he shall possesse for in God he can do all and he hath all These g The fruites which grow from the consideration of the glory of heauen benefites which we haue heere recounted other which be like to these are possessed and enioyed in that celestiall kingdome which Christ our Lord who is the iudge both of the quicke and dead will impart to the iust in reward of their good life And now let vs reach towards the fruit which we must procure to gather from the infallible knowledge of this truth Whereof h Great estimatioÌ„ of the benefits great thansgiuing to the benefactour the first is this A very great estimation and profound internall gratitude for this mercy vnspeable grace of God that we being so poore creatures so weake so ignorant and who by our owne fault made our selues so miserable so base so vnworthy of all good and who so well deserued the vttermost of all paine God would
the other elements and framed by the will of man out of mettall and wood and other mateâ—…alls of this world do cause such â—ontentment and ioy in the hart â—f man by the sight therof that for â—…is sight they endure and suffer much and make long iourneys and much expence what comfort and ioy shall it be for the cleere eyes of the soule being strengthned by supernaturall force and light to behould that beauty of the Angels and blessed spirits yea and the beauty of God himselfe If to heare with our corporall eares that Musicke which is made by the voyce of a man and of other instrumeÌ„ts of Musicke doth impart such sweetnes as that a man will remaine many houres as if his soule were euen suspended and he is content to loose both his food and rest for this earthly gust what sweetnes will it be for those inhabitants of heauen with the eares of their soule to heare those consorts melodious songes wherwith all the Quires of the Angells do praise and glorify Almighty God And to heare that most gratious voyce wherwith the same God doth comfort and recreate all those blessed soules discouereth to them his Loue togeather with the secrets of his very hart And to heare also eueÌ„ with the ears of their bodies the sound of that praise and thanksgiuing wherwith all those men who are to be made happy after their Resurrection shall glorify Almighty God giue ioy to the whole court of heauen A man c We haue reason to aspire to eternall glory since nothing of this life can queÌ„ch our thirst who considereth and pondereth by these and such other discourses both of reason and faith the greatenes of these celestiall blessings and who findeth that neither the naturall appetite of reason and much lesse the supernaturall which he hath being caused in him by grace is satisfied or contented or quieted by al the benefits and gusts and delights of the earth but that euen whilst he hath them he becometh more hungry more discontent and more vnquiet then he was before that onely he can be satisfied by the delights and gusts which are in heauen will be induced vpon this motiue to desire the happines of heauen with a most vehement ardour of minde And he is animated and encouraged to begge it of God and to sigh and grone for it continually and he sayth with Dauid Psal 41. As the Hart with being chased and tired and hauing deadly thirst desires the waters and goes panting vp and downe in search therof so my soule being ouerwrought by the miseries of this life desireth thee o my God hath a mighty thirst and an vnsatiable appetit towards thee who art the fountaine of the liuing water both of grace glory which can only satisfie and appease my whole appetit How longe o Lord am I to liue in this place of banishment When wil it be granted me that being freed from the miseries of this exile I may present my selfe before thee and behould thee face to face and enioy thy presence in the society of those happy soules And as longe as this sentence of banishement lies vpon me that the sight of thy Diuinity is deferred I take contentment in nothing but spending of sighes and shedding of teares day and night throgh the excessiue desire that I haue to be with thee and by these teares my soule is comforted mantained Thus did Dauid and all those holy Patriarcks and Prophets and great seruants of God of the old Testament aspire sigh and groane with vehement desire of this celestiall beatitude And much more and with more reason did the Saints of the newe Testament performe the same and so should all true Christians do First because till the passion of Christ our Lord was past the Saints how fully soeuer they were purged from all sinne and paine went not yet to heauen but to the Lymbus of the holy Fathers where they staid froÌ„ entring into heaueÌ„ till the redemption of the world were accomplished by Christ our Lord. But since his death all they who are purified either in this life or in the other do instantly rise vp to the possessioÌ„ of euerlasting beatitude And secondly now in tyme of the lawe of grace the guifts of the holy Ghost are more aboundantly communicated to the faithfull so they receiue more consolations and spirituall ioy and haue more gust feeling and experience of celestiall graces and do more perfectly vnderstand the height the value and the maiesty therof and consequently they desire them more with more ardour of affectioÌ„ then did the Saints of the old Testament It doth also increase this desire in the tyme of the lawe of grace to knowe that heauen is full of blessed creatures who are of the race of mankinde and who are expecting vs there and do greatly desire our Society For by the entry which any one of the elect doth make into heauen the glory of God is increased who is far more beloued and praised and glorified by the iust in heauen then on earth and so also doth the accidentall ioy and glory of euery one of the elect increase vpon the arriuall of any other But much more then they altogether doth d This reason would extremely oblige vs though ther were no other Christ our Lord who redeemed saued vs by his death desire to haue vs there with him Both because he loueth vs much more then they all are able to do as also for that by the entry of the elect into heauen and by the possession which theÌ„ is giuen theÌ„ of that kingdome the whole fruit of his passion and death is gathered all that is perfected and established which he did and suffred for vs heere that so he might make vs completely happy be like to himselfe in glory be partakers of his heauenly kingdome and in fine to make vs such as that togeather with him we may perfectly prayse and glorify and enioy his eternall Father For these reasons doth he much desire to see vs in heauen and when that desire of his is satisfyed by the ascent which any of the elect maketh thither that most sacred soule of our Lord doth receaue a new delight ioy which belongeth to his accidentall glory For as that kind of glory may increase in any of those other Blessed Spirits so may it also do in the most glorious Humanity of Christ our Lord. CHAP. XX. How from this knowledge concerning the Kingdome of Heauen which Christ our Lord will giue his seruaÌ„ts we are to gather a resolute purpose to fly from sinne and to fullfill the Commandments of God to despise the commodityes of this life THE a The consideration of eternall glory must awake vs to hate fly from sinne third and the principall vse which we are to make of this our knowledge and estimation and desire of heauenly beatitude is a stout and resolute minde and
for the getting of a little money passe through intollerable troubles both by Sea Land and do expose themselues to great danger of death All kind of tradesmen for the getting of a poore liuing do labour and sweat both day and night in their seuerall occupations The souldier for his miserable pay and for a little fume of honour is subiect to extreme inconueniences and runs hazard of his life at euery moment The seruants and Courtiers of great Princes for the obtayning of fauour which yet doe passe and change like any wind depriue themselues of their owne gust and deny their owne will and are hanging day and night vpon that of others and for the giuing of contentment to their Lords they take an aboundance of discontentment disgust to themselues They who are enamoured of this world the couetous for money the intemperate for curious fare the dishonest for that filthy pleasure the proud for that vaine delight in honour and commaund and all of them in fine for the poore cōmodities of this life do suffer greiuous paines and endure excessiue torments and sicknesses and other afflictions which vpon these occasious they incurre as themselues do confesse when the punishment of God shall haue laid their errour before their face And then they will say Sap. 5. We went astray from the way of truth and were estranged from that diuine light and did ouerworke and tyre our selues in the way of sinne and vice and there we endured many difficulties If then the men of this world for the obteyning of most base and transitory riches and of certaine pleasures which are vaine and pernicious both to body and soule for the giuing of contentment to mortall creatures for the yeilding of obedience to those infernall Diuels who perswade them to the loue of earthly things doe ingulfe themselues into such a sea of troubles and breake through such a world of difficultyes what in the name of God will it not be fit for Christians and the seruants of Christ to do for the being faythfull and loyall to that diuine Maiesty and for the exact complying with that obedience loue which they owe him both as to a father and as to a Lord and for the obtayning of the kingdome of heauen the possessing of those immortall riches of the house of God the honour glory of being the sons of God and consequently the ioynt heyres with Christ our Lord of his patrimony Royall and of his euerlasting entaile and for the inioying and that for euer of those incomprehensible delights of his beatitude Certainly it is most iust it is most due that they should vndergo any trouble and ouercome any difficulty and expose themselues to any temporall hazard how greatsoeuer For as the Apostle sayth by way of confirming this truth g 1. Cor. 9. All g This truth confirmed by S. Paul most diuinely excellently pondered by our Author men who striue and fight with others in the place deputed to that end as the vse of the Romains was to do in their entertainements and feasts do for the ouercomming of their opposites abstaine from all those thinges of gust which may be of any impediment to them in their combat as namely from delicate meates from wine from women and the like which are wont to make men dull and weake and they feed vpon grosse meats they obserue the rules of continency and temperance and they prepare and accustome themselues before hand to labour And all this they do to obtayne the reward of winning a corruptible crowne which might perhaps be some Iewell or some suite of clothes or some garland of bayes or flowres or some vaine applause and flying prayse of men What then are we Christians obliged to do in this spiritual contention and strife which we are making against sinne for the obtayning of that crowne of immortality and glory of that celestiall kingdome It is most certain that if for the giuing of contentment to Almighty God and for the obtayning of that eternall and immense beatitude it were necessary to suffer all those pains put togeather which al the men of the world from the beginning of it to the end will haue beene to suffer and which all the holy Martyrs haue endured it were all reason that we should willingly be content to endure them all And if it were necessary not only to suffer all the paines of this life but to endure yea and that for many ages all the torments of hell yea and of many hells it h The ioyes of heauen are more to be desired then euen the paines of hell to be auoyded were most iust fit to endure them all for the obtayning of the kingdome of heauen afterward For greater is the good of the glory of heauen then the euill of the paines of hell And how much then more iust and more conuenient will it be to suffer the payne and difficulty which belongs to vertue and which accompanyeth the fullfilling of Gods commandments Which i How the difficultyes of vertue grow delightfull through the goodnes of God besides that all temporal labour is light since it is so short difficultyes besides that they are short for as much as at the most they last no longer then this life they are with all both light and sweet For the loue of God and the heauenly consolations which he communicateth to his seruants doth make them sweet and the helps and succours of grace which otherwise he giues thē make them light So doe iust persons find this to be by experience as the Apostle confesseth saying 2. Cor. 1. After the rate of the tribulations and afflictions which we suffer for Christ our Lord and whereby we go in imitation of him so do the consolations which are giuen by Almighty God through the vertue and merit of our B. Sauiour increase and copiously abound in vs. If k Consider seriously of the conclusion of this discourse then the labours troubles of this life be on the one side so momentany and so short and on the other so sweet and light and the reward of glory and of that celestial kingdome so eternal and immense and that as our good workes doe grow to be increased so also doth the reward of glory go increasing in such sort as that to euery of our good workes yea l O infinite bounty of God! And are we then in our wits when we be either sinnefull or euen but slouthfull in Gods seruice and to euery one of our desires and euen to euery moment of a life which is lead in state of grace there is a distinct degree of glory which correspondeth what man is that who will not labour for the leading of a vertuous life Who will not be diligent in making resistance to all temptations whatsoeuer Who will not suffer any iniury or paine for liuing well And who will not resolue with strength and courage to perseuere in
and who powre out the drink of spiritual comfort and ease to such as are afflicted and deiected that so they may beare their miseryes with patience who cloath their soules with vertues and celestiall guifts who are naked depriued of al spiritual graces and who cure and recouer out of their miserable infirmityes and who draw and deliuer out of that horrible captiuity them who are sicke of sinne and are taken prisoners and made slaues by Sathan Most certain it is that although all they who expresse mercy towards their neighbours shall be esteemed honored in that Tribunal shal be sublimed with glory and royall dignity yet these others who haue imparted it towards the soules of mē shal be much more esteemed and honoured by Christ our Lord and his Angels shal be raised to greater glory more aduaūced in the kingdom of heauen It is also to be considered that although these works of mercy whether they be corporall or spirituall and which respect the spirituall or corporall good of our neighbour are excellent and of great value and merit as we haue already sayd yet the interiour and exteriour workes of Fayth Hope Charity and Religion which haue e How highly gratefull those acts of vertue are which do immediatly respect Almighty God imediate relation to Almighty God and to the worship seruice which is due to him as our God and our Creatour are more excellent and of greater value merit then the workes of mercy which ayme but at the cōfort of our neighbours And so much more as any vertue doth draw neere approach to God so much more is the vertue more excellent Now the vertues which are called Theological which are Fayth Hope Charity do looke vp and serue immediatly honour Almighty God belieuing his truth and louing his goodnes and hoping in his mercy And the vertue of Religion doth respect and exercise the worship and veneration which is due to God as being soueraigne Authour and Lord of all thinges And these vertues being more excellent then that of Mercy towardes our Neighbour it is cleare that those faythfull Christians who with firme and liuely fayth haue beleeued in Christ our Lord and who confessed his fayth in the face of Tyrants who placed all their confidence in Christ searching with care after his glory and resigning themselues entirely to his most holy will and honoring him reuering him with true worship with pure prayers and with an exact performance of their promises and the vowes which they make to his diuine Maiesty certaine I say it is that in the day of his diuine Iudgment they shall be more esteemed and honoured by Christ for hauing done and suffered these thinges then either they or any others shall be for any other inferiour works which they may haue wroght towardes their Neighbours And therefore the reward of glory being so illustrious and so high which for the workes of spirituall and corporall mercy they shall receaue considering that yet the reward which these others shall obtayne is to be much more eminent and great and since notwithstāding that the kingdome which is to be giuen in reward of these workes of mercy is celestiall eternall yet for these acts of faith and Charity and Religion a greater and a better portion shall be allotted and set out in the same kingdome let vs be most diligent in the leading of a good life in cōseruing our soules pure and cleane in exercysing our selues in the acquisitiō of vertue And let vs be full of feruour towards the works of mercy whether they be spirituall or corporall euery one according to his Tallent O happy f Conclusion and for euer most happy they who shall thus imploy themselues Happy because they were elected from all eternity by almighty God Happy because they were called in Tyme to his faith and Religion and were instructed therin Happy because they did correspond to that vocation of God and did begin to lead a good life Happy because they did contynue therin Happy because if they fell they quickly rose againe by penance and were constant therin And Happy beyond all happies because when our Lord came to call them to accompt at the houre of their death he found them imployed in a good life and watchfull in the exercise of good workes expecting the tyme of his comming to receaue the reward of their labours at his mercifull and most liberall handes For it is sayd by no lesse then Truth it selfe Luc. 12. Happy is that seruant whome his Lord when he commeth shall find watching and imployed in the discharge of his duety with fidelity and prudence and complying with his obligations whether they be common to all Christians or particulerly belonging to his state I tell you as an vndoubted truth that to such a seruant as this his Lord shall deliuer vp the possession of all his goods That is Christ our most mercifull Lord and our God will rayse him vp from the blessinges of grace in this life to the blessinges of glory in the next and from the basenes of this earth to raigne eternally together with himselfe in heauen Amen THE CONCLVSION TO THE READER MAKE accompt good Reader that this discourse is a Letter this which now thou art reading is the Postscript of it Thou hast seene the torments of Hell and the ioyes which are imparted to the elect in heauen Thou hast seene that if thou dye in mortall sinne thou wilt for euer be chayned in those torments for euer be depriued of those ioyes Take heed therefore of all sinne and especially take heed of the sinne either of Schisme or Heresy which are of the greatest that can be cōmitted The nature of Heresy consisteth in this That a man will make election of some one doctrine or more which is contrary to the beleefe of that true Church which is celebrated in the Creed of the first Councell of Nice to be One to be Holy to be Catholike to be Apostolike Be sure thou be of that one true Church which soeuer that be for thogh myself be resolued yet I will not heere handle that question by way of Controuersy but there is but one wherin a Christian can be saued one in the faith which it professeth howsoeuer it may be accounted many in respect of the infinite persons which it conteyneth and consequently of the particular Churches which it imbraceth The nature Wher in the nature of heresy doth indeed consist therfore of heresy doth not consist in the multitude or quality of the Articles of Religion which are held in difference from the dotrine and direction of the holy Catholike Church but it consisteth properly in the pride and presumption of that hart which dares preferre a priuate opinion of any one or seuerall Countries or any interpretation of holy Scripture which interpretation is also no more then a For he will make the scriptur affirm