a resemblance with GOD his Creator that I know not whether a Man may ascend with more facility to the knowledge of GOD any other way then by the consideration of his owne soule And therefore man is inexcusable if he have not knowledge of him seeing he may attaine to it Gods grace assisting without difficulty by knowing his owne soule First then Mans soule is a spirit for so doe the holy Fathers expound those words in Genesis And the LORD formed Man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nosthrils the breath of life and Man became a living soule and that of Tobias Command my spirit to be taken from me and that of the Preacher Then shall the dust returne to the earth as it was and the spirit shall returne to GOD that gave it For although the word spirit agreeth to the wind also of which it is said in the Gospel Spiritus spirat ubi vult The wind bloweth where it listeth and in the Psalmes Spiritus procellarum as S. Ierome Wind and storme as our translation yet without doubt that spirit the wind is a most thinne body which for its great subtilty and raritie doth more imitate and resemble the spirituall nature then any other body But the soule of man is properly a spirit not a body neither is it produced or made of any matter but is immediately created by GOD. And here begins the excellencie of the soule in the resemblance to GOD for GOD is a spirit as our Saviour saith and they which worship him must worship him in spirit and truth But though GOD be a spirit and mans soule be a spirit also yet GOD is a spirit uncreated and the Creator and mans but a spirit created by which it followes that there is a great disproportion betweene the spirit which is the soule and the spirit which is GOD. And in this respect how greatly may the soule rejoyce that it is in the kind of a spirituall substance and so of a higher and more noble nature then heaven or the Starres and againe it should be the more humble and obedient to GOD because it was made of nothing and of it selfe is nothing Againe the soule of man because it is a simple spirit is also immortall for it hath nothing in it from whence it may be divided or severed And in this regard how much may it boast above the soules of bruit animals which die with their bodies and so behold and admire the great excellencie of the creator who is not onely immortall but everlasting For the soule of man sometime was not and came to a being by the onely will of GOD and by the will of the same GOD may againe be reduced to nothing although in it selfe it have no beginning of corruption therfore truly said the Apostle of GOD Who onely hath immortality for he onely cannot be dissolved neither by force chance or ought else because it is his property to be he is life it selfe and the fountaine of being and life Thirdly mans soule is endued with the light of understanding for it is not onely able to know and distinguish of colours tasts smells and sounds heate cold hard soft and other things of the like kind which are plaine to the sences of the body but is able to judge of substantialls and of things singular and universall and knoweth not onely things present but can conjecture at things to come transcends the heavens dives into the deep searches effects from causes and from effects hath recourse to causes Lastly by the eye of the mind it comes to the knowledge of GOD himselfe which dwelleth in inaccessible light and this is the light of which Saint John speakes This was the true light which enlightneth every man that cometh into the World which David calls the light of Gods countenance Of the light of the understanding the same Kingly Prophet saith Be ye not like to horse and mule who have no understanding Certainely this is a great priviledge and dignity of the soule by which man becomes like to GOD and unlike the beasts and by this a man may also conjecture of the excellent sublimity of his creâ—â—â—â— for though the soule of man be endued with this light of understanding yet GOD is the light and understanding The soâ—lâ— as is said runnes from causes to effects and againe from effects to causes and therby hunts as it were with great labour to attain this knowledge but GOD with one aspect and at the first sight knoweth all things The soule understandeth those things which are so that his knowledge depends upon things GOD by his understanding bringeth to passe that things are so that the existence or being of things depends upon his knowledge The soule doth but conjecture of things to come GOD beholds all things past and to come as perspicuously and plainely as if they were present The soule wants many things to exercise the office of its understanding as the object forme fancie and the like GOD wants nothing for essence it selfe is his all things even his owne essence is his understanding Lastly the soule whiâ—e it is in the body neither seeth GOD the Angels nor it selfe nor any substance though corporeall properly and is deceived in many things is ignorant in many of many things he hath but an opinion and of few things the true knowledge but GOD is ignorant of nothing thinks nothing is never deceived never erreth All things are naked and opened c. Therefore if Man hath such an opinion and esteemeth so much of his knowledge as that according to the Apostle his knowledge puffe him up how much ought he to admire the knowledge of his Creator to whose if mans be compared it is no knowledge but ignorance There is also another kind of knowledge in the soule of Man which consists not in speculation but in action from whence it cometh that there are so many Bookes of Philosophers which treat if vices and vertues so many Lawes of Princes Lawyers and others so many institutions to acquire the art of living well In which appeâ—â—eth mans admirable light of reason by which alone he differs farre from beasts in excellencie but all this is nothing to the eternall Law which is powerfull in the mind of the Creator from whence as from a most plentifull fountaine all other Lawes flow and are derived for there is one Law giver and Iudge which is GOD as St. Iames tells us He is Truth Justice and Wisedome By whom Kings raigne and Princes decree Iustice So that we shall never find out the Art of living well and happily till we come to the Schoole of CHRIST who is the true and onely Master by whose word and example we shall learne that righteousnesse which exceeds the righteousnes of the Scribes and Pharisees yea and of Philosophers too whose end is love out of a pure heart and of a good conscience and
and say to GOD with the Prophet Thou hast beene my helper forsake me not and speake to him not out of custome but heartily againe and againe Thou art my helper and redeemer O LORD make no long tarrying Mans soule hath also a rationall will which not onely can desire good things present particular and corporall such as are proper to beasts to covet but also good things absent generall and spirituall which are demonstrated by faith or reason and indeed GOD himselfe which is the chiefe and infinite good And this is it which makes a Man capable of great vertues especially of love the chiefe of all other and the fâ—â—â—taine from whence all good guists are derived and which joyneth Man to GOD in so strong a tye that GOD shall remaine in him and he in GOD For GOD is love and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him But if this be so great a happines of the created will how great will that happinesse be with which the uncreated will is replenished The will of God is onely capable of infinite love where with the infinite goodnes of God is worthy to be beloved Neither doth this will want vertues nor hath it need to bee directed by the understanding for Gods will and understanding are both but one as his wisedome and love are one and the same thing in him Besides Mans soule is in a humane body but farre otherwise then the soules of bruire beasts are in their bodies for the soules of bruits are materiall and extended through all parts of their bodies so that part of it is in part and all in the whole body But Mans soule which is an indivisible spirit is after an admirable manner all in the whole and all in every part of the body and whereas it fills the whole body yet it occupies no speciall place in it neither increaseth it as the body encreaseth but only begins to be where formerly it was not and if a member of the body bee cut off or wither the soule is not lessened or made dry by it but leaves to be in that member without any may me or impayring This is a true mirrour of Gods existencie in things created for God is an indivisible spirit yet fills the whole world and all the parts of it nor occupies it any one place alone but is all in the whole world and all in every part of it and when a new Creature is made God begins to bee in it and yet is not moved and when any Creature perisheth or dyeth God dyes not but onely leaves to bee there and yet changeth not his place And therefore in these things God and the soule of man agree but God is much more excellent then the soule for the soule to be in a body to rule and stirre it must of necessity have a forme of a body made for it and to be so joyned to it that of the soule and body a man may bee made God needes not the forme or soule of a world nor that of him and the world one compounded substance should bee made but of his owne immensitie he hath this preheminence to bee every where of his indivisible unitie to bee all every where of his omnipotence to governe move and sustaine all things Againe the soule of man though it bee said to be in the whole body yet properly it is not but in the living or animate parts of it and therfore is not in the humors in the hayre nailes dry or dead members God absolutely is in all things not onely corporall but spirituall nor can it be that there should be any thing in which God is not Lastly it is not a soule but in it's owne body and that a streight and small one wherein all the parts are tyed together for if any part as is said be severed from the other in that part the soule cannot be But God is all in this universe of things though it be great and the parts thereof not tyed or joyned together though they be neere one another and if there were more worlds God would be in them all to which purpose it is said Heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot conteine thee for if there were other heavens and another earth created or more heavens and earths without number God would fill them all and where he were not nothing would be at all Againe mans soule hath in it though obscure the Image of the most holy Trinitie aswell in that it hath a fruitfull memorie power to understand and power to love as also because the mind thereof by understanding formes a certaine word and from the mind and word proceeds love because that which is knowne by the mind and represented by the word is presently as it is good loved and desired by the will But after a much higher and diviner manner God the Father begets God the Word the Father and the Word breath God the Holy Spirit who is the living love and the living fountaine of all chast love And in this respect the mystery of the Trinitâ—e transcends the naturall meanes of knowing nor can a learned Philosopher come to the knowledge of this without a supernaturall light for the soule of man produceth a word and a love which are not substances but accidents and in that regard are not Persons but GOD the Father begets to himselfe the Consubstantiall Word and the Father and the Word breath the Holy Spirit consubstantiall likewise to them both whereby it is that the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost are rightly and worthily called three Persons The soule of Man also produceth a Word which is of no long continuance and the will bringeth forth a love which lasteth not long but GOD the Father begets the eternall Word and the Father and Word breath the eternall Holy Spirit nor can GOD be without his Word and Spirit Againe Mans soule by one word represents but one thing and therefore multiplyeth words not onely of the mind but of the mouth and mans will must produce many acts of love if it will love many things But GOD by one Word speaketh all true things and with one act of love loves all good things 10 Lastly the soule of Man while it is in the body hath this property that though it be not seene heard nor moved and is hardly conceived to be in it and that leaving it the body seemes to want nothing it had before yet it is that which causeth all good to the body sense motion speech subsistence beauty and strength for what is the cause that while a man liveth hee seeth heareth talketh walketh and is strong and beautifull nothing but because he hath a soule in him and why cannot a man see nor heare nor speake but lies deformed unprofitable and unserviceable after hee is dead but that his soule is departed from him from whence all these benefits and good things were derived to him So thy GOD whilst
of malice doe so blind the mind that they suffer it not to perceive the truth but are like coloured glasse which maketh white to shew like red and the contrary or like optique glasses which make great things seeme small and small great or those things are a farre off to be neere and they which are neere a farre off Whatsoever thing a man loves fervently he ever judgeth it to be most faire and amiable most beneficiall and profitable most excellent and necessary for himselfe and despiseth all other things in comparison of it Againe whatsoever he hates vehemently hee reputes it the most deformed unprofitable evill and pernicious But if once this black and foule iron be put into the fire that is if a sinner begin to be turned from his sinne and be converted to God according to that of the Psalmist Then the Lord shall make his darknesse light then he begins by little and little by degrees to bee enlightned and by that light to perceive the truth according to that in the Psalme in thy light shall wee see light then the false glasse of his passions being broken and a true one look'd upon which is pure love hee esteemeth eternall things great and temporall small and almost nothing as indeed they are and perfectly perceives that all beauty and forms of things created are not to bee compared at all with the light of truth and wisedome which is in God and is God and therfore cryeth out with St. Augustine I have loved thee too late O thou beauty I have loved thee too late And because Christ saith You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free hee that is so enlightened and freed from the bonds and shackles of concupiscence covetousnes ambition and all other passions by the light of truth shall rejoyce with the Prophet and say Thou hast broken my bonds in sunder I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thankesgiving and will call upon the name of the Lord. Secondly fire as it makes iron cleare which formerly was blacke so of cold it maketh it hot yea so scorching and burning as that it seemeth to bee fire it selfe Great is the Lord and great is his power that a man by nature cold fearefull and timorous not daring of himselfe to speake much lesse to attempt any hard or difficult designe yet being once heated with the fire of Love he can make him as bold as a Lyon who terrifies all others with his roaring and overcomes by his power and that nothing shall seeme difficult or hard to him insomuch as being kindled with this fire hee shall say with the Apostle I can do allthings through Christ which strengthneth me But let us speake of the two parts of the efficacie of this fire severally namely of the power of it in words and in deeds 1 There are many now adayes and ever were in the Church of God Preachers and teachers of great note yet what is the reason that with so many of their Sermons so few are converted that so little alteration of manners and conversation appeareth for still the same vices the same sinnes the same coldnes and dissolute behaviour continueth I can ascribe it to no other cause but that in these Sermons though they be learned fluent and elegant there wants the life the fire and love which onely is of power and efficacie to quicken heat and inflame the hearts of the Auditors I deny not but there are many Preachers who can thunder as it were and beat the Pulpit but they are like Gunnes charged with powder onely and can give a crack as great as a peece of Ordinance but fruitlesse because they preferre not the glory of God and the salvation of soules before the applause of men Saint Peter was no Rhetorician but knew only how to steere a Ship and mend a net and to cast it abroad but as soone as the Holy Ghost came upon him in the shape of fiery tongues and filled him with most ardent love he began presently even in the midst of Ierusalem to preach with such power and efficacie that at one Sermon of his many thousands were converted And yet wee read not that he used much clamor or laying about with his body or banging the Pulpit from whence then proceeded such moving of the Auditors from whence such gaining of soules certainly by this that the holy Preacher was as a fire and his Word burnt like a Lamp as it is said in Ecclesiasticus of Elias his words came from him as from a heart burning and sparkling with Lâ—ve 2. Againe this divine fire hath as much efficacie in deeds as in words God had decreed to subject to himselfe the Citie of Rome the head of the Empire by the preaching of the Apostle St. Peter and to send abroad other of his Apostles some for the conversion of the Ethiopians others of the Indians others to the Sâ—ythians and some to the Brittaines and by them not onely to destroy the Idols of the World but to erect â—nd advance the Trophee of the Crosse to alter the rites of the Gentiles and to subvert the â—yrannicall Kingdome of the Devill If any man should have foreâ—old these things to the Apoâ—tles when they were fishing in the Lake of Genesareth or when during the time of our Saviours Passion they lurked in corners they would have been beleeved no more then dreames or old wives fables yet after a while all these things came to passe and that by no other meanes then the power of most ardent love which the holy Ghost kindled in their hearts for as St. Iohn speaketh Perfect Love casteth out seare and againe Love suffereth all things hopeth all things endureth all things thinks nothing impossible but cryes with the Apostle I am able to doe all things in him which strengtheneth me So that wee see that by the endeavour of these men armed with Love onely Idolatry was expelled the whole world with little labour and Churches of Christianity established every where in alâ— Kingdomes without the force of Armies or warlike provision Thirdly fire hath this property that it softens hard Iron that it may be lengthned out into plates and being made thinue fitted to any forme at the Artificers pleasure It is true that this is a great efficacie of fire in iron yet farre greater is the power of GOD over the obstinate and obdurate hearts of men St. Bernard describes a hard heart thus That is not onely a hard heart saith he which is not terribly afraid of it selfe because it is insensible What then is a hard heart That which is not cut with compunction nor mollified with devotion nor moved with prayers yeelds not to threats is hardened with scourges is unthankfull for benefits unfaithfull in counsailes that neither feares GOD nor reverenceth men All these things were verified in Pharaâ—h who the more he was plagued the more he was hardned and the
by his grace he lives in thee causeth thee to see what faith sheweth thee and to heare what GOD speaketh to and in thee and to walke by the way of his commandements to the heavenly Ierusalem to speak to him by prayer and in holy exhortation to thy neighbour to subsist by persevering in good workes to bee strong in battell against thy invisible enemies and to bee beautifull in the sight of God and his Angels But beware least the grace of GOD the life of thy soule depart not from thee if it doe thou wilt soone find the damage which the first death brings with it from whence thou shalt be carried to the second from which there is no resurrection If GOD would open the eyes of thy minde that thou mightst seriously consider and see the exceeding beauty and splendor of a soule acceptable to GOD and joyned to him by true love with how cheerfull and loving countenance he looketh upon it what place he prepares for it what joyes he hath promised to it and with what desire the Angels and blessed spirits wait for it thou wouldst never indure to have the beauty of it defiled with the least spot and if that should happen thou wouldst endeavour to wash it away though little with rivers of teares But if by the same grace of GOD the inward eyes might bee opened that thou mightst behold how filthy a soule is that sinneth what an unsavory stench it sends forth like a putrified body or carrion and how GOD and the holy Angels loathe to looke upon it although perhaps it inhabite a comely and beautifull body without doubt thou thy selfe wouldst also so detest and abhorre it as that thou woulst never be brought to bee such a one or remaine long in that state or condition DEGREE IX By the Consideration of Angels WE are now to come to the highest degree of ascending to GOD from those things which may be taken from substances created for there is no created substance more sublime then the Angelicall if we speake onâ—ly of naturall perfection and there are three things principally to be considered in them 1. First according to the excellencie of their nature 2. Secondly in respect of their sublimity of grace 3. Lastly in regard of their offices Neither is it our purpose to propound and handle the things which concerne them by way of disputation but to touch onely those matters which may helpe us to the lifting up of our minds to GOD. 1. An Angell if we compare him to a reasonable and humane soule may fitly be called a perfect soule as the soule may be termed an unperfect Angell For so the Psalmist speakes of Man in respect of his soule Thou hast made him little lower then the Angels And indeed an Angel is an entire perfect spiritâ—â—ll substance and mans soule is but dimidiata divided as it were into halfes and unperfect because as it is the forme of the body it is part of man So that an Angell is all spirit and a man part spirit part flesh or partly an Angell partly a beast as if we should say an Angell is all gold and a man part gold and part earth or clay By which it followes that an Angell is more like to GOD then a man or his soule because GOD is a spirit not a body nor the shape of a body Yet this comparison makes not so much for the Angels but that there is an infinite distance of dignity in GOD above this sublimity of the Angels for GOD is a spirit uncreate eternall immense onely mighty onely wise onely good onely the most high Therefore if we worthily admire the Angelicall nature how much more ought we the divine which beyond all manner and measure surpasseâ—h the dignity of the Angels 2. And not onely in nature or substance may an Angel be called a perfect man and man an unperfect Angell but also in understanding and knowledge for a man or the soule of man takes much paines in understanding things because he must use the office of his sences and running from causes to effects and from effects to causes before he can gaine a little knowledge from whence it is that he oftentimes stickes as doubtfull oftimes he is miserably deceived and seldome attaines to a sure and certaine understanding But an Angell at the first sight beholds things and at one time perceiveth the causes and the effects and dives not onely into the accidents but the substance aswell of spirituall as corporall things Therfore Man while he is in this pilgrimage in asmuch as concernes understanding is not onely a little lesse but a great deale lesse then the Angels and though he be very wise and give himselfe to the study of wisedome yet compared to an Angell he is but a childe or an infant or suckling The Prophet therefore did us no wrong when he said Out of the mouthes of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained knowledge You may heare wise King Solomon how he conceived of our knowledge with which we are so much puffed up All things are full of labour or hard man cannot utter it and againe He meaning GOD hath set the world in their heart yet man cannot finde out the worke that GOD hath wrought from the beginning to the end If then the things of the world be hard and unutterable by man and if man understand nothing of this visible world from the beginning to the end that is he understand nothing perfectly as not being able to declare the nature properties accidents force and the like thereof into how many errors would he runne if he should goe about to search after those things which are above heaven If thou be wise therefore follow the knowledge which belongs to thy salvation and the wisedome of the Saints which consists in the feare of GOD and keeping his Commandements let prayer delight thee better then disputation and edifying charity rather then swelling knowledge for this is the way which leads to life even to the Kingdome of heaven where we little ones shall be made equall with the Angels who alwaies behold the face of their Father which is in heaven 3. There is also a third thing wherein mans soule is not onely made a little but much lesse then the Angels and that is their power and command over bodies for mans soule can onely by the command of its will stirre and move his owne body other bodies he cannot and he moves his owne too but in an ordinary progressive motion upon the ground he cannot walke upon the waters or raise it up to the ayre and carry it whither he pleaseth but the Angels by the onely force of the spirit that is by the command of their wills raise heavy bodies upward and carry them whither they will as in the case of Abacuk to Daniel Againe one man cannot fight with an host because he wants many hands and weapons but an Angell without hands and weapons can
If a Man had seene not onely with the eyes of his body but of his heart enlightned by GOD the rich Glutton clothed in silke and purple sitting at a Table furnished with all kinds of delicates many wayters attending him and withall had seene poore Lazarus halfe naked full of sores lying at the rich mans gate desiring to be fitted with the crummes that fell from his Table â—ee had seene the rich man whom the World accounted most happy to seeme most abominable in the sight of GOD and his Angels and as vile as the mud and dung of the earth and poore Lazarus to seeme noble and honourable For the first as hated by GOD was hurried by the Devills into hell and the last as beloved of GOD was carried by the Angels into Abrahams bosome But what doe we speake of Lazarus None was ever in higher account with GOD then our Lord Jesus Christ even according to his humanity and yet none ever so humble as he truely reported of himselfe Learne of me that am meeke and lowly in heart For by how much the clearer his most holy soule knew above all others the infinite height of the divinity by so much the more he knew the basenesse of the creature made of nothing and therefore while he was a creature above all others he became subject to GOD and exalted him and therefore also is he exalted above all creatures by GOD. The like we might say of the blessed Angels and holy Saints for there are none more humble then they which are high in the heavens because the neerer they are to GOD the more clearely they see and perceive by how much the greatnesse of the Creator is in distance from the exiguity of the creature Wherefore love humility if thou desire to be exalted Imitate the Lambe without spot and imitate the holy Saints and Angels who as they excell in height excell in humility And not onely doth GOD possesse the highest seat because he judgeth all men but because he excells all in quiet and makes those to be quiet in whom he rests and fits Gods highest seat is his supreme rest for although he governeth the universe wherein are continuall warres and conflicts of elements men and beasts yet he governeth peaceably and quietly nor is there any thing that can disturb his quiet or his contemplation of himselfe wherein consists his everlasting delight Gods proper seat is the blessed spirits upon which it is said by the Psalmist He sitteth betweene the Cherubims and in Samuel the LORD of hosts who dwelleth betweene the Cherubims and GOD is said rather to dwell or sit betweene the Cherubims then the Seraphims because the Cherubims signifie multitude of knowledge and Seraphim the heate of charity now rest followes wisedome and care and anxiety accompany love and charity unlesse it be joyned with wisedome Lastly where Esay saith Heaven is my seat and David The Lords throne is in heaven and all the heaven of heavens are the Lords by the heaven of heavens are understood the spirituall heavens the blessed spirits which dwell in the corporall heavens as S. Augustine expounds that place These heavens saith he GOD causeth to be quiet so admirably that this is the peace which passeth all understanding St. Bernard compares it to a King who being tyred as it were with hearing of causes retyres himselfe and takes his ease and quiet with his familiar servants And therefore by this we may perceive that GOD sheweth himselfe not a Iudge or a Lord to the spirits of the blessed but a familiar friend And certainly it is no small familiarity which GOD shewes to pure minds in this life so that this saying is verified My delight is to be with the children of men Hence it is that the Saints though they sufferd pressures in the World yet in their hearts where GOD is they had peace and therefore ever seemed joyfull and serene and so were For the Truth had told them Your hearts shall rejoyce and your joy shall no man take from you The fourth and last part of the greatnes of Gods Essence is the depth and this is manifold 1. First the divinity it selfe is most deep in him because it is not superficiall or sleight but most full most solid The Deity is not a gilded masse which hath onely gold upon the superficiâ—s or outward part and brasse or wood within but as a whole masse of gold great and immense or rather as a mine of gold so deep that by digging it can never be exhausted nor the bottome be discovered so God of whose greatnesse there is no end is altogether so incomprehensible that by a created mind it can never be so well knowne but that it may be ever more and more understood and it is onely God himselfe which can comprehend this infinite depth because he onely hath the infinite power of understanding 2. Againe God is deep in respect of place for as he is most high because he presides and governs all things and is above all so is he most deep because he is under all things to uphold them Bearing up all things by his mighty word saith the Apostle And therefore he is as it were the foundation and roofe of a building In whom we live and move have our being In that regard most truly said Solomon The heavens and the heavens of heavens are not able to containe thee because God doth rather contain the heavens and the things under heaven as being above the heavens and beneath the earth 3. Lastly the profundity of God is his invisibility For God is light but inaccessible he is truth but most inward He made darknes his secret place saith David and verily thou ô God hidest thy selfe saith Esay St. Augustine sometime inquiring after GOD sent his messengers his eyes from earth to heaven and all things answered them that they were not that he sought for but it is he that hath made us and not finding him by outward things he tooke his search by inward and soon understood truly that by them he might sooner approach to God for he knew the soule to be better then the body and the inward sense to be farre better then the outward and the understanding which is more inward to be better then the inward sense and thence gathered that God who was more inward then the understanding was better then it and that by all this that we understand or thinke it was not God but something lesse then God because God is better then we can understand or conceive Well then if the soule be better then the body to which the soule gives life because that is a body and the soule a spirit and if the eye of the body cannot see the soule because that is without and this within think also that thy God is better then thy soule because he gives it understanding and is as it were thy soule and
to touch him by any pious affection or to cleave to him unlesse he take us up and draw us after him by his power Therefore when David had said I have set GOD alwaies before mee or in my sight he presently addes for he is on my right hand or as St. Jerâ—me me suscepit dextratua Neither are we onely in these three respects farre from GOD that we can neither see him nor easily thinke of him nor joyne to him in affection but wee easily forget him scarce sounding forth his name by praise or prayer the reason is because wee are entangled and taken up with temporall affaires which compasse us round and even overwhelme us This then is the cause why the Holy Ghost in sacred writ as wee said even now so often perswades and counsailes us to seeke GOD. As Seeke yee after GOD and your soule shall live And Seeke the LORD and his strength seeke his face evermore And The LORD is good to the soule that seeketh him And Seeke the LORD while hee may be found and Seeke the LORD in simplicity of heart And If thou shalt seeke the LORD thy GOD thou shalt finde him if thou seeke him with all thy heart and with all thy soule No man of what condition soever is tyed so to give himselfe up to the affaires of the World as not to refresh himselfe with meate drinke and sleepe And if the bodie require such refreshing and repast how much rather should the soule desire food and sleepe Prayer and contemplation one being the meate and the other the sleepe of the soule and by these two are ascents framed in the heart by which wee are to see the GOD of GODS in Sion even asmuch as hee may be seene in this vale of teares Now there can bee no plainer or more easie way for us mortalls to ascend to GOD then by the consideration of his workes For wee cannot properly say that they ascended which by the singular guift of GOD were admitted by another way into Paradise and there to heare the secrets of GOD which are not lawfull to bee spoken or uttered but onely that they were rapt as Saint Paul plainely confesseth in his owne case But that it is possible for a man to ascend to the knowledge of GOD and love of his Creator by his workes that is by his creatures the Booke of Wisedome the Apostle Saint Paul and reason it selfe sufficiently prove seeing the efficient cause may bee knowne by its effects as a Man by his picture or Image And there is no doubt but that all Created things be the workes of GOD and holy Scripâ—ure teacheth us that Man and Angels be not onely the workes but the images of GOD. Being therefore provoked and stirred up with these reasons and having a little ease and rest from other affaires I have attempted to make a LADDER out of the Consideration of the Creatures by which after a sort GOD may bee ascended unto And I have distinguished it into fifteene Staves or Steppes after the similitude of the fifteene Degrees by which men went up to SOLOMONS Temple and of the fifteene Psalmes of DAVID his Father usually called the Gradualls or Psalmes of Degrees THE FIRST DEGREE of our spirituall ascending to GOD is by the Consideration of MAN DEGREE I. WHosoever is desirous to erect his thoughts to God-ward must first begin with the consideration of himselfe For we are every one of us the creature and image of GOD and nothing is neerer to us then our selves And therfore not without cause said Moses Attende tibi Take heed to thy selfe For whosoever shall strictly and narrowly look into himselfe shall finde that he is the very compendium or abridgement of the whole World and by this view with little labour and difficulty he may ascend to the creator of all things And to this search the resolution of these foure ordinary and easie questions wil be necessarie 1 Who was Mans Creator 2 Of what matter he was created 3 What forme was given him 4 To what end he was brought into the World First if thou wilt examine diligently who it was that made thy soule when it was not thou shalt finde that it was GOD and not thy Parents For whatsoever comes of the flesh is fleshly and thy soule is a spirit Not Heaven Earth Sun or Starres for they are corporeall thy soule incorporeall Not Angels or Archangels for thou were not made of any matter but meerely of nothing and none but GOD is able to make something of nothing He therefore without helpe of any others with his owne hands which are his understanding and will created thee And though GOD used thy Parents to the begetting of thy flesh as labourers to a building yet is he the chiefe worke-man and creator both of body and soule For if thy Parents had been the chiefe authors and makers of thee they may as well be able without skill in Anatomy to know all thy bones nerves veines muskles and other things which they are ignorant of they might also be as well able when thou art sicke or lame to cure thee as to make thee like a clock-maker who can take in pieces and amend the watch or clocke formerly made by him But the joyning of soule and body in so strong a tye as that they become one substance is a worke of such transcendence that none can performe but he who is of infinite power Therefore this question is resolved and we may and must confidently affirme that GOD is Mans creator who onely doth wonderfull things And therefore Moses inspired by the spirit of GOD may seeme to confirme this point when he saith by way of question and answer Is not he thy Father he hath made thee and proportioned thee And Job likewise Thy hands have made me and fashioned me and a little after Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh and joyned me together with bones and finewes The Kingly Prophet also acknowledgeth asmuch Thy hands have made me and fashioned me and againe Thou hast fashioâ—ed me behind and before To these I may adde that excelâ—ent speech of that heroicall woman in the Booke of the Maccabees to her sounâ—s I cannot tell how ye came into my Wombe for I neither gave you breath nor life it is not I that â—et in order the members of â—our body but doubtlesse the Creator of the World which formed the birth of man and found out the beginning of all things And upon this it was that CHRIST himselfe said Call no man your Father upon the earth for there is but one your Father which is in Heaven upon which Saint Augustine speaking of his naturall Sonne Adeodatus said to GOD Thou didst make him well for I had nothing in that childe besides the fault Well then If GOD be author both of body and soule if he be thy Father and preserver if what thou
hast thou receivest from him if what thou hopest thou hopest from him Why boastest thou not of such a Father Why dost thou not love him with all thy heart why dost thou not contemne all things in respect of him but sufferest thy selfe to be overswayed with vaine desires and delights Lift up thine eyes to him feare not what any mortall creaâ—ure can doe to thee Say with David I am thine save me Certainly if thou wouldst but seriously consider how gracious GOD is to thee in that he who needs none of thy goods neither if thou perish doth he lose any thing hath his eye of providence still and continually over thee yea so loveth directeth and cherisheth thee as if thou wert his greatest treasure thou wouldst be moved with these his extraordinary favours and put thy whole confidence in him thou wouldst feare him as thy Lord love him as thy Father and loath those things which should divert thee from his love The second quaere is Of what matter was Man created The resolution is easie even of that which is most vile and contemptible and by how much the â—aser the better occasion is ministred to every one of us to labour for that most pretious and profitable vertue of humility And doubtlesse the matter of which the prime part of Man the soule was made was nothing and what can be imagined or thought to be of lesse esteeme then nothing Now what was the first materiall to the making of the body but menstruous blood a thing so loathsome as that the eye flies the sight of it the hand the touching of it and the mind abhorres to thinke of it Thirdly the matter whereof the first Man Adam was made was but red and barren earth or dust or mud Out of the earth wast thou taken saith GOD to Adam because thou art dust and to dust thou shalt returne Which caused Abraham remembring the vile materialls he was made of to say to GOD I am but dust and ashes And yet we have not said all which may be spoken concerning the vilenes of these materialls For the earth or dust it selfe of which his body was created came not from any matter but of nothing also For in the beginning GOD createâ— heaven and earth and surely he created them not of any otheâ— heaven and earth but even oâ— nothing So that this proud thing Man whether you consider soule or body coming from nothing in the end must be reduced to nothing What then hath he to boast of but that which he hath received from GOD. Other things as the workes of artificers vessels of gold and the like if they had sense might boast and expostulate with their workemen in this manner It is true lowe to thee for my form but not for my materialls and that which I had of my selfe before thou tookest me in hand is farre more pretious then that which I received from thee But Man that hath nothing of himselfe and is altogether nothing of himselfe can glory in nor of nothing And therefore St. Paul saith What hast thou that thou hast not received If thou hast received it why boastest thou as though thou hadst not received it and If any man seeme to himselfe that he is somewhat when he is nothing he deceiveth himselfe in his imagination To which St. Cyprian agreeth when he saith we ought to boast of nothing when there is nothing that we may call ours But thou wilt say men doe many excellent things for which they are worthily commended that according to the proverb virtus laudata crescat goodnes having due praise may increase It is true Men doe many good workes for which they may deservedly be praysed and of which they may boast but with this limitation that they rejoyce in the Lord and not in themselves as it is written He that rejoyceth let him rejoyce in the Lord. For let me aske these questions When a Man doth any good worke of what matter by what power by whose aid and direction doth he it surely oâ— the matter which GOD created by that power and strength which GOD gave him and lastly by GODS direction and assistance without which hee could doe no good thing For GOD doth many good things in Man without Man but Man doth no good but that which GOD giveth him power to do And therefore he vouchsafeth to use the Ministery and service of Man in doing good which of himselfe he could do without Man that thereby he might acknowledge himselfe the greater debtor to GOD and not by growing proud to rob God of his honour Therefore if thou be wise in the good thou dost give to thy selfe the last place steale not Gods glory from him neither in little or much enter into thine heart and consider well that nothing of thine which is onely and all that thou hast and all the World shall not be able to puffe thee up And because this pretious vertue of true humility was almost clean gone out of the World and was neither to be found in the Books of Philosophers or in the lives either of the Gentiles or Jewes it pleased the Mr. of Humility himselfe to descend from Heaven Who when he was in the form of God equall to the Father made himselfe of no reputation and tooke on him the forme of a servant and humbled himselfe c. saying to mankind Learne of me that am meeke and lowly of heart and ye shall finde rest to your soules So that if thou perhaps art ashamed to imitate the humility of Men be not ashamed to follow the humility of CHRIST Who resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble The third question followes now to be answered that is What forme was given to Man at his creation Surely by how much the viler the matter was of which he was made by so much the forme is found to be the more excellent To omit the out ward shape of the body which yet may justly challenge eminencie above the shapes of all other creatures for this is not the substantiall but the accidentall forme The substantiall forme therefore of a MAN which makes him to be a MAN and distinguisheth him from other creatures is the immortall Soule indued with reason and will the Image of GOD for so we read that GOD said when he would make Man Let us make Man in our Image according to â—ur likenesse and let him rule over the fish of the Sea and over the foule of Heaven and over the â—easts and over all the Earth and over every thing that creepeth and moveth on the Earth Man therefore is the Image of GOD not in respect of his body but of his spirit For GOD is a Spirit not a body And there is the Image of GOD saith St. Basil where that is which commands the other creatures Now Man commands and rules over the beasts not by the members of his body
too fearefull a thing to fall into the hands of the living GOD. It remaines that we speake of the last consideration which is the Beauty of things created of which King David said Thou hast made me glad by thy workes and I will rejoyce in the workes of thine hands And certainely as GOD made all things good so are they all beautifull if they be rightly considered But to omit some consider we those which by the judgement and approbation of all men are beautifull Without doubt great is the beauty of a greene meadow of an orchard well trimmed of pleasant groves of the sea in a calme of the ayre when it is cleare of fountaines rivers cities of the bright Heaven bedeckt with innumerable starres like so many gemmes or jewells How are we taken with the beauty of flowers and fruit-bearing trees with the various shapes of foure-footed beasts with the flying and melody of birds and the playing of fishes what shall we say of the beauty of the Starres of the Moone and especially of the beames of the most cleare and resplendent Sun which by his rising glads the universe and lastly of Men and Women whose shape and beauty doth breed the greatest delight Many have perished by the beauty of Women It hath often hapned that Men otherwise most prudent have been taken with their beauty and on the other side many grave matrons and honourable to have been brought to that madnesse with the love of Mens beauty that they have neglected their estates goods children and parents their lives nay I feare their everlasting happinesse for the fond love of Men. The stories of David Solomon and Sampson are notorious in holy Scripture with others If then such beauty be infused in the Creatures by GOD how wonderfull beauty may we imagine to be in the Creator himselfe no Man can give to another what hee hath not to give and if Men beeing delighted with the forme of the Sunne and Starres thought those lights of Heaven to be Gods yet they should have knowne how much more beautifull Hee is that made them for the first Author of beauty hath made these things saith the Wiseman How much this beauty of GOD may be is not onely knowne certainely by this that the beautie of all the creatures after a more eminent manner is found to bee as it were gathered and compact together in him but also hereby that whereas hee is invisible to us while wee are in this Pilgrimage and may bee knowne onely by us through Faith in the Scriptures and in the glasse of the Creatures yet many holy Men have been so enflamed with His love that some of them have withdrawne themselves into desert and solitarie places wholly to spend their time in contemplating on this beautie and others have willingly opposed their lives to many dangers to come to the sight of this excellent beauty If then this heavenly beautie which as yet cannot perfectly bee seene but onely beleeved and hoped for kindles such a zeale of desire what will it doe when the veyle shall bee removed and that hee shall be seene as Hee is No mervaile then if the Angels and blessed soules ever see the face of the Father without yrkesomenesse or satietie when GOD himselfe beholding his owne beautie from eternity rests and takes delight onely in it Seeke then after this beautie desiring and longing earnestly after it night and day saying with the Kingly Prophet My soul is athirst for God yea even for the living God when shall I come to appeare before the presence of God and with the Apostle We are bold and love rather to remove out of the body and to dwell with the LORD Neither need wee to feare that wee shall be defiled with the ardent love of this beautie for it perfects not infects sanctifies but pollutes not the heart But if thou affectest and desirest the sight of this increate beauty of thy Creator thou must doe that which the same Apostle addes in the same place strive to be acceptable to him If the beauty of GOD please thee thy workes must please him and if thou wilt walke before GOD in the land of the living thou must strive to walke before him uprightly in this pilgrimage and thou must keepe his Image undefiled from staines and spots DEGREE III. By the Consideration of the Earth WE have considered the corporall World in the Vniverse now we will take a view of the particular principall parts of it that we may thereby come as neere as we can to the sight and contemplation of the Creator and first we will begin with the Earth This though it holds the meanest and lowest part and seemes to be lesse then the other elements yet in truth is not lesse but excelleth all the other in dignity and value We read in diverse places of Scripture that GOD made Heaven and Earth as the principall parts of the World the Heaven as a Palace for himselfe and the Angels the Earth as a Palace for Men as it is in the Psalmes All the whole Heavens are the LORDS the Earth hath He given to the children of men And for this cause it is that the Heaven abounds with glittering Stars and the Earth with immense riches of mettalls pretious stones herbes trees living creatures of many kinds whereas the water onely is stored with fish and the ayre and fire are poore and almost empty elements But to let these passe The Earth hath three qualities by the consideration of which the mind if it be not asleepe may with ease ascend to GOD. First the Earth is the surest foundation of the whole World which it we wanted we could neither walke rest worke nor live He hath made the round World so sure saith the Psalmist that it cannot be moved and againe He hath laid the foundations of the Earth that it should never be moved at any time Secondly the Earth is as a good Nurse to Man and other creatures it daily produceth herbs corne fruit grasse and other things of that kinde innumerable for so GOD speaketh Behold I have given â—nto you every herb bearing seed which is upon all the Earth and every tree wherein is the fruit of a tree bearing seed that shal be to you for meate Thirdly it bringeth forth stones and tymber to build and mines of brasse and iron for many uses and gold and silver for money and traffique The first property of the Earth in that it is a place in which our bodies may rest whereas neither in ayre fire or water they cannot is an Embleme of the Creator in whom onely the soule of Man may finde a place of rest Thou ô Lord saith Saint Augustine hast made us for thy selfe and our hearts are not quiet untill they rest in thee If ever any it was King Salomon that found rest in riches Kingdome command and pleasures he was possessed of a most large and peaceable
all as having a life most happy and most plentifull being life and the Fountaine of life Take an example in the act of seeing A man to cause him to see wants a seeing power which is distinct from the soule which properly liveth he wants an object that is some colored body placed without him hee wanteth the light of the Sunne or some other enlightned body hee wanteth a medium that is some perspicuous body he wants a sensible species as forme which may be conveyed from the object to the eyes he wants a corporall organ that is an eye furnished with divers humours and fleshly tunicles hee wants sensitive spirits and optique nerves by which those spirits may passe hee wants a proportionable distance and the application of power you see what a number of little helpes are wanting to men and other creatures to performe one action of life But God who truely hath all life in himselfe wants nothing his infinite essence is unto him power object species light and all other things Of and by and in himselfe God sees all things which are have beene and shall be and perfectly knowes what might have beene and before the world was made God saw all things neither is there any new thing added to his knowledge or sight by the creation of things Consider duely then what thou shalt be when thou shalt be partaker of that life what great thing doth God command thee when he bids thee despise this fraile and temporall life altogether deficient and imperfect for his sake that thereby thou maist enjoy that eternall life And if he command thee therein no hard taske how little and meane injunction is that when hee bids thee give thy dead superfluities liberally to the poore to abstaine from fleshly lusts and concupiscences to forsake and renounce the Devill and his tentations and wholly to desire fervently and with all the affections of thy heart to attaine to that which is the onely and true life But it is time now to ascend to the fountaine of wisedome by what meanes we can The Word of GOD most high or in the highest as some translate it is the fountaine of wisedome as it is in Ecclesiasticus and it may very truly be said in the highest because the fountaine of wisedome most abundantly and plentifully floweth in the holy Angels and soules of the blessed who inhabit in the highest habitations but to us who live in this desert and pilgrimage not wisedome but a kinde of vapour or smell of wisedome is allotted Therefore looke not after higher things then befits thee search not too narrowly into the Majesty of GOD least thou be overwhelmed with his glory but admire his wisedome of which the Apostle spâ—aketh To the onely wise GOD congratulate the blessed spirits who drinke out of the fountaine of wisedome and though they comprehend not GOD a thing onely proper to the fountaine of wisedome yet they behold the face of GOD without any veyle and being enlightned with the brightnesse of his rayes judge most rightly of all things neither in that noon-day light of wisedome feare they the darkenesse of errors nor the obscurity of ignorance nor myst of opinions Aspire to that happines and that thou maist securely come to it love the LORD JESUS with all thine heart in whom are all the treasures of the wisedome of GOD for he hath said in the Gospell He that loveth me shal be loved of my Father and I will love him and shew mine owne selfe unto him and what will he shew by shewing himselfe but all the treasures of knowledge and wisedome of GOD which are in him Certainely men are naturally desirous to know and although fleshly concupiscences doe in this life in a sort lull this desire asleepe yet when this body which corrupts and burdens the soule shal be layd aside then the fire of this desire shall waxe fervent How great will thy happinesse then be when thy beloved CHRIST IESUS shall impart to thee all the treasures of the knowledge and wisedome of GOD But that thou mayst not hereafter be frustrate of thy expectation study and endeavour to keepe his Commandements For he hath said Hee that keepeth my Commandements is he that loveth me and Hee that loveth mee not keepeth not my words In the meane time let that be thy wisedome which holy Job describeth The feare of the Lord is wisedome and to depart from evill is understanding and what good soever thou seest in the creature know that it flowes from GOD the fountaine of all goodnesse DEGREE V. By the Consideration of the AYRE THe Element of Ayre may serve as an excellent and notable Schoolemaster if the nature of it be well considered not onely to instruct us in naturall Philosophy but to open to us the mysteries of Divinity and to raise our minds to GOD for the benefits are diverse which by Divine ordination and appointment arise by the ayre to mankind First of all Ayre while it serves for breathing preserves the life of every creature 2. Againe it is so necessary for the use of the eyes eares and tongue that if it be wanting presently wee become blinde deafe and dumbe 3. Lastly it is so necessary for the motion of men and all other living creatures that if it should be taken away all motions and consequently all Arts and workes would be at an end First if men would consider that their soules have asmuch need of breathing as their bodies many would be saved that now perish The body needs a continuall breathing because if the naturall heate which inflames and makes the heart as it were to boile were not tempered and qualified by the ministerie and office of the lungs drawing in coole ayre to eject the hot the life could not be preserved which confirmes the usuall received opinion that to live and breath are one and the same for every thing that breathes liveth and that which leaves to breath ceaseth also to live The soule in like manner which lives a spirituall life by GODS grace needs a continuall breathing which is done by sending hote and fervent sighes by prayer to GOD and by receiving from him new grace even that of the holy Spirit And what else indeed is the meaning of our Saviour by this that wee ought alwaies to pray and not to faint but that we must ever sigh up to GOD and receive his good spirit downe that our spirituall life be not dissolved which hee seemes to repeat when he saith Watch therefore and pray continually and the Apostle Pray without ceasing to all which the Apostle St. Peter agreeth saying Be therefore sober and watching in prayer And verily this is true sobrietie and wisedome that we which continually need the helpe of GOD should alwaies make petition for the same Our heavenly Father it is true knowes what we stand in need of and is ever ready to supply our wants in plentifull manner especially those
more Gods mercy appeared to him by removing the plagues the more he was animated to despise him But whensoever it pleaseth GOD to kindle a sparkle of the true fire of His love in a heart though never so hard presently it growes soft and melteth like waxe nor doth it any way resist the power of it but is of a stony become a heart of flesh and the breath of Gods spirit thawes the congealed snow therof into water We have an example in the Gospell of that woman who being a notorious sinner in the City could not be perswaded either by the admonition of her brother or the chiding of her sister or the honour of her family or her owne disgrace to amend her life yet one of the beames of our Saviour pierced so deepe into her heart and kindled a sparkle of his divine love there so that she was sodainely transformed as it were into another woman insomuch as she being of a noble stocke was not ashamed at a publique feast to fall downe at Christs feet and being wholly turned into tears of them made a bath for his feet and with her owne haire in stead of Linnen wiped them and moved with the vehemencie of that love kissed them and annointed them with a most costly oyntment signifying by these her acts of Repentance that from thenceforth she purposed wholly to devote her selfe to his service and therefore shee worthily heard that comfortable speech of our Saviour Many sins are forgiven her for she loved much And these effects hath the power of divine fire wrought which no hardnes of heart can resist The last property of fire is that it maketh Iron light which formerly was heavy And it is the chief cause that men which are not heated and inflamâ—d with divine love are heavy in heart and to such the Kingly Prophet thus speaketh after some translations Vsquequo gravi corde How long will ye be heavy in heart loving vanity and seeking after lyes and the Wiseman saith the corruptible or earthly body weigheth downe the soule And in Ecclesiasticus A heavy yoake is upon the sons of Adam Which heavy yoake he afterwards explaines to be wrath envy feare trouble and unquietnes and the like which are usually stiled the passions of the mind These doe so loade and burden a man that he looks upon nothing but the earth to which hee cleaveth and can neither rise to seeke God nor to run the way of his commandements But as soone as this divine fire begins to inflame the heart of man those passions forthwith decrease and are mortified and that heavy burthen is made light so that hee is able to saâ— with the Apostle Our conversation is in Heaven and with an enlarged heart to say with King David I will runne the way of thy Commandements when thou hast set my heart at liberty Certainely after our Saviour had said I am come to put fire on the earth w see how light many 〈◊〉 became by casting off the affections and desire of honour flesh and riches insomuch as they cryed with the spouse in the Canticles Draw me we will run after thee O blessed fire which enlightens but consumes not and consumes the ill humour onely if it consume but kills not Who will give me this correcting fire 1. that will take away the blacknesse of ignorance and purge the darkenesse of my conscience with the light of true wisedome 2. That will change the coldnesse of my sloth into the heate of devotion and of my negligence into the fervencie of love 3. Which will never suffer my heart to be hardned but keep it soft with its heate and make it obedient and devâ—ut 4. Which will lastly remove and take away the heavy yoke of earthly cares and will so lift up my heart with the wings of contemplation which nourisheth and increaseth love that I may say with the Psalmist Comfort the soule of thy servant for unto thee ô LORD doe I lift up my soule DEGREE VII By the Conâ—ideration of Heaven that is of the Sun Moone and Starres IT will be no hard taske out of the consideration of Heaven to erect one step for our ascent to GOD for the Kingly Prophet hath done it to our hands The Heavens saith he declare the glory of GOD and the firmament sheweth his handie-worke Now forasmuch as there are two times wherein we should ascend to GOD by the wings of contemplation namely the day and night of the former of them the same Prophet saith in the same Psalme In the Sun hath he placed his Tabernacle according to some translations or as others In them hath he set a Tabernacle for the Sun which cometh forth as a Bridegroome out of his chamber and rejoyceth as a Giant to run his course His going forth is from the end of Heaven and runneth about to the ends of it and there is nothing hid from the heate thereof Of the latter he writes in another Psalme I will consider the Heavens the worke of thy hands the Moone and the Starres which thou hast ordained We will begin with the first Of the Sun which is seene by day the Psalmist in the former mentioned place sets down foure severall prayses or commendations 1. That it is the Tabernacle of GOD. 2. That it is most beautifull 3. That it ever runnes most speedily and without wearinesse 4. That by enlightning and heating it chiefly manifests its power In regard of all which qualities the Sonne of Syrach calls it A merveilous vessell the worke of the most High 1. First therefore GOD the creator of all things according to the old translation of St. Jerom hath placed his Tabernacle in the Sun as in a most noble thing to reside in that is he hath chosen the Sun among all corporeall things as a royall palace or divine sanctuarie to dwell in for though GOD fill Heaven and Earth and the Heaven of Heavens cannot containe him yet he is said to dwell more there where he hath manifested the greatest signes of his presence by working wonders But because in the originall it is said In them hath he set a Tabernacle for the Sun that is in Heaven we may gather out of this place in the Pâ—alme another excellencie of the Sun not contradicting or opposing the former The Sun is a great thing for whom GOD hath prepared a large faire and noble palace for as he would have heaven to be the palace of the Sun wherein he might freely walke and worke so hee would have the Sun to be his owne palace So that as we may apprehend the greatnesse and excellencie of the Sun by this that the heaven is its tabernacle so may we conceive the greatnesse and excellencie of GOD in that the Sun an admirable vessell and then which nothing corporeall is more wonderfull is his tabernacle 2. Secondly the Psalmist to denote unto us the great beauty of
fight with an armie and overcome and kill at one time 185000. as in the case of the Assyrian army If then an Angell can doe these things what can the LORD of Angels doe Certainly he which made all things of nothing can againe reduce all things to nothing A mans mind also by the Art of painting and graving with labour and industry can make mens counterfeits and represent them so to the life that they may be thought to live and breath the Angels without labour hands or instruments in a moment of time can so apt and fit to themselves a body out of the elements that by wisemen it shal be conceived to be a humane body that shall walke speake eate drinke be touched felt and washed So Abraham prepared meat for the Angels and washed their feet and his nephew Lot received Angels as pilgrimes into his house and the Angel Raphael accompanied young Tobias many dayes walking speaking eating and drinking as if he had beene a true and reall man yet he being to leave him said I seemed to eate and drinke with you but I did neither eate nor drinke but you did see a vision and presently vanisht out of their sight Certainely it is a great and admirable power to assume a body presently which shall seeme to differ nothâ—ng from a humane and living body and to dissolve it at pleasure as sodainely so that no signe of it shall remaine Now if the power of Angels be so great and wonderfull how great is the power of the Creator of Angels who hath given this and what power he pleaseth As the knowledge of Angels and men being compared with the knowledge of GOD is but ignorance and as the righteousnesse of Angels and men compared with the righteousnesse of GOD is unrighteousnesse so all the power of Angels and men compared with the power of GOD is weaknesse and therefore GOD is truely called onely wise onely good and onely mighty 4. Lastly if we consider the place of Angels and the place of men we shall finde also in this respect that man or the soule of man is not onely little lesse but much lesse the Angels For GOD hath given to the soule of man a place in earth but to the Angels a place in heaven in his owne Palace All the whole heavens are the Lords the earth hath he given to the sons of men Hence it is that our Saviour calleth them the Angels of heaven and in anothâ—r place Joy shal be in heaven for one sinner that converteth and a little after There is joy in the presence of the Angels of GOD for one sinner that converteth Againe GOD hath so bound the soule to the body as that without the one the other cannot move but GOD hath not tyed the Angels to any body but hath given them power to passe from heaven to earth and from the earth to heaven whensoever they will and that speedily so that an Angel bâ— the dignity of his nature being neerest to GOD by his subtility also after a sort imitateth the omnipresence of GOD. For GOD is alwaies every where by the immensity of his nature neither needs hee change of place seeing he is every where and an Angell by the swiftnesse of his motion so easily passeth from place to place and exhibits his presence so easily to all places that in a manner he seemes to be every where If then thou wilt give eare to the LORD of Angels there will be no cause why thou shouldst envie the Angels or their high place or swift motion for not onely thy soule when it shal be loosened from thy body shall be equall with them but also when thy soule shall returne to thy body which Christ shall fashion like to his glorious body with that body thou shalt possesse heaven as thy proper mansion and that body being made a spirituall body it shal be there continually without labour and wearinesse where thy soule will and commands it Thy Lord God will not faile thee in his promise In my Fathers house are many mansions and I goe to prepare a place for you and I will that they be with me where I am c. but where Christ is and what body he hath we know for we confesse every day and say the third day he arose from the dead and ascended into heaven and we know also that his body after his resurrection used to enter to his Disciples the doores being shut and when he left them it was not by walking away but vanishing that is he conveighed his body with so speedy motion from place to place as if he had bin a spirit and not a body But if thou aspire to that place it is necessary that thou first conforme thy selfe to him here thy body to the body of Christs humility and so it will come to passe that Christ will fashion thy body like to his glorious body Againe thou must follow his footsteps for Christ suffered for you leaving you an eâ—sample that you should follow his steps and what are they St. Peter answers in the next verses That did no sinne neither was there any guile found in his mouth Who when he was reviled reviled not againe when he suffered he threatned not These are the two steps to tract him by from which if thou errest thou hast lost thy way and shalt never come to thy Countrey 1 Thou must doe no evill but suffer and 2dly Thou must doe good and expect none here againe and which is the summe of all thou must love thy neighbour for Gods sake with the true and pure love of amity and not of concupiscence freely not for the retribution of man being contented with Gods recompence which exceedeth all proportion and measure 2 We come now to speake of the dignity of Angels according to grace And in this respect it may be truly also said that God made man little lesse and more then little lesse then the Angels For in the beginning GOD so created every Angell that together with their nature he infused grace as St. Augustine testifies Sooneafter they which cleaved to GOD by love were crowned with glory and blessednesse and they which rebelled and were reprobate fell Therefore their pilgrimage must needs be short and their mansion everlasting if we may call that short distance betweene their creaation and blessednesse a pilgrimage We men in our creation received also grace with our nature but it was in our first parent not in our selves and therefore he falling we all fell In whom all men have sinned as St. Paul saith although by the Mediator of GOD and Man CHRIST IESUS we are reconciled to GOD yet we are condemned to a long banishment and while we are in this body we wander from God for we walke by Faith and not by sight and that which much grieveth good men and those who desire their Countrey is that in the meane time they
valuation and lastly if this were able to fill the desire not onely of men but of Angels of what value wouldst thou thinke it to be Yet the goodnes of this one thing would come farre short of the goodnes of GOD which is so great that it is able to satisfie and satiate the infinite desire or rather the infinite capacity of GOD himselfe Oh the admirable latitude of the perfection of the essence of GOD which containes such immensity of good thingâ— as is sufficient for the infinite capacity which is in himselfe for GOD cannot at any time goe out of or from himselfe because he hath all good things in himselfe and was as rich and blessed before the creation and wil be after because there is nothing which GOD hath made but would not alwaies be after a more transcendent manner in himselfe Therefore consider what kind of good thou shall enjoy in thy Countrey if thou love God while thou art in the way and from what good thou shalt be excluded if thou love him not For GOD offers himselfe to those which love him and he is the onely good and will say to the good and faithfull servant Enter into the joy of thy LORD 2. Againe GOD is immense in another manner because he fills all created things altogether Doe not I fill heaven and earth saith the LORD and if there were more worlds he would fill them all If I climb up to heaven saith David thou art there if I goe downe to hell thou art there also that is if I goe above heaven or beneath it or about it I shall not be alone because thou also art there for I cannot be if thou be not in me and thou sustainest me who bearest all things by thy mighty word Neither doth God fill all bodies onely with his immensitie but spirits hearts and mindes For how could he search the hearts of men if he were not in their hearts how could he heare their prayers unlesse he had his eares to our hearts and how could the Prophet say I will hearken what the LORD GOD will say in me if he moved not his mouth to the eares of our hearts It is a happy soule which loveth GOD because he hath alwaies his beloved with him and cherisheth him in his bosome For he which dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him 3. Neither doth GOD onely fill all things with his presence but with his glory also For the Seraphims cry The earth is full of his glory and the Psalmist addeth O LORD our Governour how excellent is thy name in all the world thou hast set thy glory above the heavens As if he should say not onely thy name fame and glory hath filled the whole earth with admiration but it hath ascended to heaven and above the heavens also And the Son of Syrach of the creation of the Sun saith The worke thereof is full of the glory of the LORD for there is no creature either in heaven or earth which continually praiseth not GOD. And this is the cause why David in the Psalmes and the three children in Daniel doe exhort all creatures to blesse and celebrate the praises of the Creator not that they were ignorant that most of the creatures were of that nature that they could not heare their exhortations but because they knew that all the works of GOD were good and by their species or beauties brought praiâ—e unto him and therefore congratulated and perswaded them to continue in doing that which rhey did And cortainely if we had inward eyes we might see that all the works of the Lord were as so many censers sending upward the sweet savour of his glory and if we had inward eares we should heare a harmonicall concent as it were of all kind of musicall instruments sounding out his praises and saying It is he that hath made us and not we our selves And although the wicked many times speake evill of GOD and blaspheme his name yet they are compelled against their wills in that manner that the worke commends the workeman to praise him for in them also the power of GOD shineth merveilously by which he made them and his wisedome by which he governes them and his goodnesse by which he preserves them though unthankfull and evill and his mercy and justice by which he ordaines them either justly to punishment or mercifully expects them to repentance And though many are so deafe here on earth to heare the voyces of the creatures incessantly crying to GOD yet there are a multitude of Angels and holy men who hearken unto and are delighted with those praises they themselves daily chaunting out the same with hymnes and songs Now the length of Gods divine Essence is his Eternity which as it had no beginning of continuance so neither shall it have end but shall remaine the same without change or alteration Thou art the same saith David to GOD and thy yeares shall not faile and the Apostle calls him The King everlasting because he is not subject to time but is above it and governes all ages and was before all ages Other things have their beginning and end and never continue in one state nor have beginning without end without alteration but may at the will of the Creator leave to be And therefore eternity is onely proper to GOD so as it can agree with no other creature in that measure for never was Prince so arrogant to use eternity amongst his other titles unlesse perhaps in another sense as Constantius did who was stiled Imperator aeternus because he was not Emperour for a time but during life A mans soule may be reckoned among the creatures of both kinds for it hath a body which began to be when it was conceived and borne and by degrees increased to that stature which was prefixed by GOD and then againe it began to decrease and soone after leaves to be by death but it never stands in the same state and condition in all respects every houre being subject to alteration Of this body the Prophet speaks by a similitude of grasse In the morning it is greene and groweth up but in the evening it is cut downe dryed up and withered That is in its childhood it waxeth reene as grasse soone after it passeth to youth in the nooneday whereof it flourisheth and by and by passeth to old age in the evening whereof it hangs the head and is cut downe in death it continueth in the grave it dryeth up and returnes to dust By which we may perceive how farre the body differs from eternity Now the soule was created in time being nothing before and in this regard is much unlike the Creator but being created it shall have no end of continuance which is common to it with the Creator But for asmuch as it is subject to change while it lives in the body from sinne to goodnesse from vertue to vice
and in what state it shal be found at the departure from the body in the same it shal be judged either to raigne eternally with GOD or everlastingly to be tormented with the Devill nothing ought to be more carefull to thee then to flye sinne and follow that which is good Take heed therefore that to the losse of body and soule thou beest not seduced by the enticements and allurements of the flesh but erucifie it with the desires and concupiscences of it that hereafter not onely thy soule may live in blessednesse but thy body may rise in glory and remaine together in eternity with God But although the soules of the blessed and of the holy Angels shall be partakers of that most sublime and happy union with GOD by his beatificall vision and love which union not onely shall have no end but shall ever stand firme and unmoveable yet the thoughts and affections may change and alter diverse waies and therefore they shall admire and behold above them the eternity of God in whom there shall bee no change of minde will or place and yet nothing shal be wanting to him but shall possesse all things ever which he might have gotten to himselfe by diverse alterations from eternity Wherefore to conclude this point the length of Gods eternity is an infinite thing and no lesse proper and agreeable to him then the bredth of his immensitie The height of Gods Essence comes next to our consideration in respect whereof it is said of GOD Thou onely art the most highest And GOD is onely the highest by the dignity of his nature 1. For things the more pure and more abstract from matter are ever the more noble and higher This we see first in corporall things water is more higher then earth because more pure and by the same reason ayre is higher then water because more pure and the fire then the ayre and heaven then fire Againe we see it in spirituall things the understanding is higher then sence because the sence hath a corporall Organ which the understanding needs not and the Angelicast understanding is higher then mans because a man hath need of the office of imagination and phantasies which an Angell need not and among the Angels they are highest who understand most things by fewest species GOD therefore who onely is pure act and wants nothing without himselfe neither Organ nor imagination nor species nor so much as the presence of any object without himselfe but his owne Essence is all things to him and can have nothing that he had not in act and for him to have in act is to be alwaies pure act and uncompound therefore I say is his nature the most transcendent highest and sublime neither can it by any meanes be equall'd Hee then which said I will be like the most high was suddenly thrust downe to hell and as our Saviour saith I saw Satanfall downe from heaven like lightning 2. Secondly GOD is most high in another respect because he is the 1 first highest efficient 2 exemplary and 3 finall cause of all things 1. He is the first highest efficient cause because there is no created thing which hath any power of making but that which it hath received from GOD but GOD hath that power from none 2. Againe there is no cause which can exercise its power unlesse it be moved by GOD but GOD is moved of none 3. Lastly those are called higher causes amongst created things upon which particular causes depend and which are universall as the heavens and Angels which move the heavens but GOD made both heaven and Angels And therefore he is the onely first and most highest efficient cause 2 He is also the first exemplary cause because he made all things according to the formes and idea's which he hath in himselfe 3 Lastly he is the first finall cause because he created all things for himselfe that is to manifest his glory as the wiseman speaketh But it is very properly said that GOD is the most highest because he sitteth in the highest throne I saw saith Esay the LORD sitting upon a high throne and lifted up Now because sitting or seates have two uses one for judicature and the other for peaceable governing we will consider them apart 1. GOD hath the highest seat because hee is supreme Judge for Abraham said to GOD Shall not the Iudge of all the world doe right and David He is a Iudge among the Gods that is GOD judgeth even Iudges themselves who in Scripture are called Gods but St. Iaemes most plainely There is one Lawgiver and Iudge that is GOD is properly the onely Lawgiver and Iudge and GOD is Iudge himselfe saith David againe GOD is the Iudge and Esay The LORD is our Iudge the LORD is our Lawgiver he onely gives Laws to all men and receives of none he judgeth all men and is judged of none 2. Againe GOD is not onely a Iudge but is also a King and in this regard judgeth not as a Iudge appointed by the King but as King and chiefe Prince of which he is stiled King of Kings and a great King above all Gods and he is terrible to the Kings of the earth because that when he pleaseth he translateth Kingdomes and Empires from one Nation to another and when he pleaseth he taketh away the spirit of Princes 3 Lastly GOD is not onely the supreme Iudge and King but is absolute Lord which is the greatest title of all GOD is properly and truly stiled LORD for all things serve him and he none and can if he will reduce all things to noâ—hing because he made all things of nothing Consider then what feare what reverence is due by us wormes of the earth to him who sits upon so high a seate as that he hath nothing above him If I be LORD saith GOD by Malachie where is my feare And if those supreme Princes of heaven doe stand by him with such feare and trembling what ought we to doe who are mortall and fraile and dwell upon the earth with beasts But this seemeth strange that the highest GOD loves not creatures like to himselfe that is high and sublime but humble and poore for so GOD speakes by the Prophet Esay To him will I looke even to him that is poore and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my words and King David Though the LORD be high yet hath he respect unto the lowly And yet I will not say but GOD loveth high things and in this respect like to himselfe so they be truly high not which seeme so and are not and therefore it is that GOD loveth not the proud who are lifted and puffed up and are not to be called sublime but he loveth the humble and those which tremble at his words because that they the more they abase and deject themselves are the more exalted by him and they which are exalted by him are truly high
Prophet Esay and not have compassion on the Sonne of her wombe though she should forget yet will I not forget thee And the Psalmist Like as a Father pittieth his owne children even so is the LORD mercifull to them that feare him And least any should say that there may be parents found whose love is sometime changed into hatred The mercifull goodnesse of the LORD endureth for ever and ever upon them that feare him and for the continuance of this his mercy the Apostle maketh us secure when he calls GOD The Father of mercies and GOD of all consolation and therefore hee is not onely a Father of them that feare him but a most mercifull Father and most ready to comfort his children for hee taketh away and easeth them of the miseries of their afflictions and tribulations which hee judgeth fit to deliver them from and in that respect shewes himselfe a Father of mercies and in those miseries which he thinketh not expedient for them to be taken away hee endueth them with unspeakeable comfort whereby they may beare them with ease and in that regard hee declares himselfe to bee a GOD of all consolation Now the Apostle calleth him the GOD of all consolation for two causes 1. Because GOD knoweth how to comfort his in every kind of tribulation which certainely the world cannot doe because it oftimes understands not the cause of the affliction and therefore it was that Job called his friends miserable comforters because they knew not the cause of his disease and misapplyed the cure Or else sometimes the tribulation is so great that no humane comfort can asswage it but GOD is a most wise and omnipotent Physician hee can cure any disease and therefore the Apostle saith that he comforteth us in all our tribulation 2. Secondly GOD is called GOD of all Consolation because hee knoweth how to comfort us so plentifully that it is better to suffer tribulation with such comfort then to want both as in the case of Martyrdome Therefore no mervaile if the Apostle said I am filled with comfort and am exceeding joyous in all our tribulation and againe Which comforteth us in all our tribulations that we may be able to comfort them which are in affliction And what thinkest thou of this so large deepe daily pure and immense mercy of GOD who needs none of our goods and yet out of the abundance of his love is so sollicitous of his poore servants as if all his good depended on them What thankes therefore wilt thou returne to him what canst thou ever doe to avoyd the staine of ingratitude for such mercy at the least endeavour asmuch as thou canst to please him And because it is written Bee mercifull as your heavenly Father is mercifull and Love thine owne soule begin first carefully to finde out the miseries of thine owne soule for the miseries of the body are obvious enough and there is no need to admonish a man to pittie his body for if it want meate or drinke but one day or sleepe but one night or by chance receive a wound presently we bewaile the case of it and seeke remedy for it But the soule may fast whole weeks without food or lye languishing with infirmities or peradventure lye dead and no body lookes after it no body hath compassion of it Therefore visite thy soule often examine the severall powers of it whether they be well or not whether they profit in the knowledge and love of the true good or on the other side whether it be ill affected with ignorance or languish with concupiscences of diverse kinds whether the mind be blinded with malice or the will corrupted with the disease of hate or pride and if thou findest thy soule in this evillstate call unto GOD and say Have mercy upon me ô LORD for I am weake Seeke spirituall Physicians and use remedies in time Then pitty other poore soules where of a number perish and yet CHRIST died for them O if thou didst but know and well weigh the price of soules that is the pretious blood of the Son of GOD and withall the exceeding great slaughter of them by the infernall wolves and roaring Lyons the Devils certainely thou couldst not choose but with all thy heart take compassion on them and labour aswell by prayer to GOD as by all other meanes to obtaine their deliverance Lastly have compassion also upon the corporall necessities of thy neighbour and that not in word onely but in workes and truth remembring alwaies that Blessed are the mercifull for they shall obtaine mercy DEGREE XV. By the Consideration of GODS Justice compared with a Corporall magnitude THe Iustice of GOD in holy Scriptures is taken foure wayes 1. For Vniversall Iustice or Righteousnes which containes all vertues and is the same with sanctity or goodnesse The Lord iâ— righteous iâ— all his waies and holy in all his workes 2. Secondly it is taken for Truth or faithfullnes as in another Psalme That thou mayest be justified in all thy sayings 3. Thirdly for dâ—stributive Iustice Iustice in rewards according to that of St. Paul A Crowne of righteousnesse is layd up for me which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall give me at that day 4. For revenging Iustice Iustice punishing offences as it is in another Psalme Vpon the ungodly he shall raine snares fire and brimstone storme and tempest this shal be their portion to drinke The greatnesse therefore of this divine Iustice will appeare the better if we consider the latitude of universall Iustice the length of it that is his truth and faithfulnes the height of it in Gods distributing rewards in heaven the depth of it in scourging the wicked with eternaâ—l punishments in hell To begin with the latitude That is said to be universall Iustice or Righteousnesse in men which disposeth a man to carry himselfe in all his dealings according to all Lawes and by that hath in him all vertues aswell theologicall as morall But there is one vertue above the rest which containeth all other vertues and commands and rules the acts of them directing them to the last end and this is called love which vertue although in it selfe it be but particular and but one of the Theologicall vertues yet it may be truly called universall for it disposeth a man to behave himselfe well both to God and towards his neighbour and thereby fulfilleth the whole Lawe for so speaketh the Apostle Love doth not evill to his neighbour therefore is Love the fullfilling of the Lawe and he that loveth another hath fulfilled the Law And therefore St. Angustine saith Love begun is Righteousnes begun Love increased is Righteousnesse increased Great Love is great Righteousnes perfect Love is perfect Righteousnes Now in GOD are all vertues which presuppose no imperfection and instead of those which presuppose imperfection there is some what far better and more excellent where by it is
justice GOD the just Iudge punisheth the very least offences such as every idle word as we reade in the Gospell Of every idle word that men shall speake they shall give account thereof at the day of judgement Now there are many faults which men punish not either because the offenders make resistance or escape by flight or because they are ignorant of the committing of them and want sufficient proofes to convict the malefactors or because they are corrupted with bribes or favour so that they will not punish them or else they themselves are as wicked as the offenders and so connive at them But GOD is omnipotent so that no man can withstand him and is omnipresent so that none can be hid from him Whither shall I goe saith David from thy spirit or whither shall I goe from thy presence If I climbe up into heaven thou art there if I goe downe to hell thou art there also Againe GOD is most wise and knoweth all things even in the most secret and inward corners of the heart neither stands he in need of witnesses to prove the faults of men when their owne consciences are instead of a thousand witnesses to him Lastly no bribes nor favours can corrupt his justice because hee needs none of our goods nor feareth our favour or displeasure It remaines then that there is no sinne neither great nor little grievous nor light that can escape the revenging justice of GOD unlesse it be washed away before by repentance for by how much the more plentifull his mercy is towards us now in pardoning by so much the more rigid and severe will his justice be after this life in revenging Of this time of repentance the Prophet Esay speaketh In an acceptable time I have heard thee and in a day of salvation I have helped thee which the Apostle thus expounds Behold now is the accepted time behold now the day of salvation And of the other time after this life the Prophet Zephaniah speakes thus That day is a day of wrath a day of trouble and heavinesse a day of destruction and desolation a day of obscurity and darknesse a day of clouds and blacknesse And not onely shall all sinnes be punished but they shall be punished with horrible torments which wil be so great as scarce any man can imagine for as the eye hath not seene nor the eare hath not heard nor hath it entred into mans heart what the LORD hath prepared for them which love him so likewise hath not the eye seen nor the eare heard nor hath it entred into mans heart what GOD hath prepared for them which hate him for the miseries of sinners in hell shall be great 〈◊〉 and pure that is not tempered with any comfort and which infinitely addes to their misery they shal be for 〈…〉 shall I say be many becaâ—â—e every power of the soule and every sense of the body shall have their severall tormentors weigh well the words of the chiefe Iudges sentence in the Gospell 〈◊〉 from me ye cursed into everlâ—stiâ—â— firâ— Depart saith he that is separate your selves from the society and company of the blessed deprived for ever of the visâ—â—n and sight of GOD which is the chiefest and most essentiall happinesse and the last end for which ye were created Ye cursed that is hope not hence forth for any kind of blessiâ—â— for ye shall be deprived of all spring or growth of grace of all hope of salvation the water of wisedome shall no more raine upon you nor the 〈◊〉 of good inspiratioâ—â— the 〈◊〉 of heavenly light 〈◊〉 no more shiâ—e upon you 〈…〉 of repentance shall bud 〈…〉 more in you nor the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 nor the fruit of good wâ—rkes shall not grow in you for the Sun of my favour shall rise no more upon you hereafter you shall not onely want spirituall good things but corporall nor eternall onely but temporall you shall injoy neither riches delights nor solace but ye shall be like the figgetree which being cursed by me dryed up immediately Into fire that is into a fâ—â—nace of burning and unquenchable fire which shall take hold of all your members and torture them with unspeakable paines Everlasting that is into a fire which needs no supply of fewel to make it burn ever but is kept burning at the appointment of the omnipotent GOD that as your sinne will never be blotted out so your punishment shall never be ended and therefore the Prophet Esay most justly demandeth Who shall dwell with the devouring fire who shall dwell with the everlasting burnings as if he should say no man shal be able to beare them patiently but though they be impatient and desperate beare them they shall and he addes Their wâ—rme shall not dye neither shall their fire bee quenched which words our Saviour diverse times repeats in S. Marks Gospell for there shal be added to the tâ—rments of fire the worme of conscience and of remembrance of this time wherein the wicked might with a little labour if they had beene willing have escaped their punishment and have injoyed everlasting comfort And least any should imagine that the damned by changing of place may receive any ease heare what our Saviour saith Binde him hand and foot and cast him into utter darkenesse there shal be weeping and gnashing of teeth Therefore those miserable creatures being bound hands and feet in everlasting bonds shall lye for ever deprived of the light of the Sun Moone and Starres boyling in the heate of fire weeping and mourning and gnashing their teeth for madnesse and desperation And they which are cast into this horrible and disconsolate place shall not onely suffer the intollerable paines of hell but all kind of penury and want together with shame ignominie and confusion for in a moment of time they shall loose their possessions and riches and bee brought to such want that they shall beg with the glutton in the Gospell one drop of cold water and shall not obtaine it And these proud and high minded men which in this life were impatient of any injury and prefer'd their honour before all other things shall in the presence of all men and Angels a greater never was or will be see all their offenâ—â—â— openly revealed though they were committed in darknesse or though they were hid in secret 〈◊〉 of their hearts for â—s â—he Apostle saith When the LORD shall come who will lighten things that are hid in darknesse and make the counsels of the heart manifest and then shall every man have praise of GOD and without doubt every wicked man shall 〈◊〉 dispraise and condemnation and so great shal be the rebuke and confusion of wicked men in that assembly that St. Bernard is confident that this wil be the most grievous punishment of all others especially to hypocrites and proud men who accounted honour their GOD or Idol in this World But if these fore-mentioned
therefore thou canst not see him because he is a spirit more high and sublime and more inward then thou art and that thou after a sort stayest without and he within in his most secret and deep retyring place But shalt thou never be admittted into that secret place God forbid Blessed are the pure in spirit for they shall see GOD saith our Saviour who cannot lye and Now we see through a glasse darkly but then face to face saith one Apostle And We know that when he shall appeare we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is saith another And how great will that joy be when being admitted to that sâ—cret place we shall see and possesse that light that shape that beauty even goodnes it selfe then it will plainely appeare how vaine and fading and like shadowes these temporall things were and with which men as drunken and besotted neglected the true and everlasting good things But if thou truly thirstest after GOD and If thy teares have beene thy meate day and night while they daily say unto thee where is thy GOD be not slowe or slacke to cleanse thy heart with which thou must see GOD nor be weary in erecting these degrees in thine heart untill the GOD of Gods appeare in Sion neither waxe cold in thy love to GOD and thy neighbour nor love him onely in word and tongue but in worke and truth for this is the way which leadeth to life DEGREE XI By the Consideration Of the Greatnes of GODS Power by the similitude of Corporeall greatnes GReat is the LORD and of his greatnesse is neither end nor measure Neither is he great only because his height is his omnipotence his depth unsearchable wisedome his bredth mercy spread and extended every where and his length justice like an Iron rod but also because every one of these attributes are great in the magnitude of his infinite latitude altitude longitude and profundity To begin with his power or rather omnipotence This power of GOD hath its latitude which is so placed in him as that it extendeth and stretcheth it selfe to things altogether infinite 1. First it extendeth it selfe to all things which are created for there is nothing in the whole universe from the chiefest Angel to the poorest worme and from the highest heaven to the lowest abysse which is not made by the power of GOD. Allthings saith St. Iohn were made by him and without him was nothing made and a little after The world was made by him 2. Againe it reacheth to all things which shal be made for ever for as without him nothing could have been made so neither shall any thing be made without him Of him and through him and in him are all things saith the Apostle 3. Thirdly it stretcheth it selfe to all things that can be made although they never shall be for so saith the Angell With GOD nothing shal be impossible And Christ himselfe said With GOD all things are possible 4. It also extends it selfe to the dissolution and destruction of all things made For as God could destroy by the deluge all men and creatures upon the face of the earth except a few reserved by himselfe in Noahs Arke so will he be able at the last day to destroy by fire not onely all men and living creatures but Trees Cities and other things in the earth also The day of the LORD saith St. Peter shall come as a thiefe in which the heavens shall passâ— away with a great noyse and thâ— Elements shall melt with heateâ— the earth also and the workes thâ—â— are therein shall be burnt up Great without doubt is â—hiâ— latitude of Gods power which no man can sufficiently admire unlesse he could number the multitude of things which God partly hath partly will and partly can make but who can number such a multitude but he onely whose knowledge is infinite 5. Againe the greatnesse of this power encreaseth much if we consider how great a work it is in a moment to dissolve with great facility the things which are made or as Judas Maccabeus speakes Vno nutu delere at a becke to destroy the whole world Let us then say with Moses Who is like unto thee ô LORD in fortibus among the Gods Now the longitude of Gods power is seene in this that he cooperateth daily with those things he hath made neither is or shal be at any time weary in cooperating for this power of God can neither be diminished weakned nor broken by any meanes being joyned with true eternity the divinity being eternity 1. Many men mervaile how the Sun Moone and Starres for so long time have continued their motions with such swiftnesse and without intermission and it were a thing worth our admiration but that we know that they are carried by Almighty GOD Who beareth all things by his mighty word 2. Others wonder how it comes to passe that in hell either the fire is not consumed with burning so long or that the bodies of the damned should not be dissolved with so long burning And this were not onâ—y to be thought wonderfull but impossible also were it not that he is eternall and omnipotent that makes the fire so to burne alwaies that it shall never be extinguished and so keepes the bodies of the damned in that fire as that they shal be ever tormented and never consumed 3. Lastly others there are that wonder that GOD should sustain and beare all things and without wearinesse support so great a weight almost infinite It is true that a strong Man a Horse an Oxe or an Elephant can carry a great weight but it is for a small time onely but to carry so great a masse for ever without wearinesse passeth the strength of all things created And yet they might well mervaile if GOD had strength by weight and measure as things created have but inasmuch as the strength of GOD exceeds all measure and that he is wholly infinite it is no mervaile at all if an infinite strength beare a great weight or masse without defatigation although it be for an infinite time Let us heare againe say with the holy Prophet Who is like unto thee ô Lord among the Gods The next thing to be considered is the height of Gods power which is chiefly manifested in two things 1. His omnipotencie may be called most high because he onely made most high things Those things which are under the Moone onely GOD made in the first creation and they may by the act of creatures be begotten changed and corrupted for the elements are changed by course according to their parts and of the earth are Herbs and Trees begotten of animals are animals increased and propagated fishes are borne in water clouds and raine in the ayre and comets in the fire But the heaven and starres which are the highest bodies GOD onely created onely preserves neither can the creature have any act