help him and calls upon the name of Jesus but he receives no comfort On the contrary he hears his Saviour speaking thus unto him I did oftentimes speak to thy heart I gave thee a thousand inspirations to avoid sin and thou wouldst not hear me I sent Prophets Apostles good Ministers to declare my will to instruct and perswade thee to embrace vertue I did upon a Cross dye like a Criminal to save thee and manifest the excess of my Love. Then I did open my Arms to embrace thee and bow my head to kiss thee and thou hadst rather fall into the Arms of a lascivious Woman and take more pleasure in her kindness than in mine begone depart from me now when thou callest upon me I will not hear thee Thus this poor Soul finding neither help nor any inward comfort full of fright She shall say unfortunate that I am why did I not make a better use of the Grace of God And of the time allowed unto me to work out my eternal Salvation Let the day perish wherein I was born and the night in which it was said there is a Man-child Conceived Why dyed I not from the Womb Why did I not give up the Ghost when I came out of the Belly Why did the Knees prevent me or why the Breast that I should suck Cursed be the Man that shewed my Father saying a Child is born unto thee and comforted him Job 3. in that lamentable condition being enraged and in despair she will say Mountains and Rocks fall on me and hide me from the face of him that setteth on the Throne and from the wrath of the Lamb for the great day of his wrath is come and who shall be able to stand Rev. 6.16 CHAP. XXXVI The Condition of a Sinner after Death THE Wicked and Criminal Soul being separated from its Body hears the Sentence of her Condemnation whereof she cannot appeal to any other Depart from me thou Cursed into Everlasting Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels For I was a Hungry and thou gaveth me no Meat Thirsty and thou gaveth me no Drink Stranger and thou didst not receive me in Naked and didst not cloath me Sick and in Prison and didst not visite me And then shall she say unto him when saw I thee an Hungred or Thirsty or Stranger or Naked or Sick or in Prison and did not Minister unto thee then shall he answer her saying Verily I say unto thee in as much as thou didst it not to one of the least of these thou didst it not to me Mat. 25.42 43 44 45. Then she seeth her self for ever separated from the sweet presence of God from the pleasant Company of all Blessed Souls from those unspeakable delights and Soverain honours that are in Heaven She seeth her self environ'd with an innumerable number of Devils and with them precipitated into an Everlasting Fire wherein she shall weep sigh and lament perpetually and endure an intolerable stink pain and fear without any hope of the least assistance The cries of Korah Dathan and Abyron when they saw themselves swallow'd up in the Earth are not to be compared with hers and that which grieves her the more is because she seeth no Remedy for her Torments and hath deserved all these Pains for few worldly pleasures that are rather Imaginary than true She knows that in that place of darkness horror and confusion she shall be forced to spill more Tears than there are drops of Water in the Sea that after she hath endured and cried as many Years as there are sands on the Sea shore or Leaves on the Trees in the Summer-time she is no nearer to the end of her Torments than at the first day and this consideration is the cause of her rage and despair for as often as she thinks that her Pains shall never end this consideration of never is to her an other Hell in the middle of Hell. CHAP. XXXVII The Condition of a Holy Soul near the Separation from its Body by Death REpresent to your selves any Holy Man or Woman whose Conversation was always honest and who did always strive to Answer Gods Inspirations fulfill his Will in all things and obey his holy Commandments When Death presents it self unto him and seeth that by sickness or otherwise his Soul shall be separated from his Body he doth not grow pail for fear on the contrary he seems to be very glad of such a news bearing this Testimony in his Conscience that he is going to rest from his Labors and be for ever united to the Object of his Love. He is assured he is going to his Heavenly Father into that new Hierusalem the City of his God wherein he is to taste Everlasting Pleasures and enjoy for ever the sweet presence of his beloved and the lovely Company of all blessed Souls In the mean time he orders his business and disposing himself to forsake this World he leaves to his Family and Friends this Holy Counsel to serve Love and Worship the true God all the Days of their Life When his Body is dying and grow weak when his tongue begins to stammer and his Eyes to change then the Spirit of God enlightens and fortifies his Soul she sighs and saith with St. Paul Cupio dissolvi esse cum Christo sometimes with David she utters these words as the Heart panteth after the Water brooks so panteth my Soul after the O God. Othertimes she Sings with Simeon now let thy Servant depart in Peace according to thy word Sometimes with St. Stephen Lord Jesus receive my Spirit and very often with her Saviour into thy hands O Lord I recommend my Spirit And as soon as her Soul is separated from her Body then the holy Angels take and carry her into Heaven as they carried that of Lazerus into Abrahams Bosom CHAP. XXXVIII The Condition of an holy Soul after She is separated from her Body AS soon as the Holy Soul is gone out from her Body She is as I have said just now carried into Heaven by the Holy Angels then in the presence of all Blessed Souls Friends and Relations dead in the Grace of God she hath this comfort to hear these words Come thou Blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom which is prepared for thee from the beginning of the World. Well done and well come good and faithfull Servant enter into thy Masters Joy receive the Crown of Glory promised to them that are faithfull till death If for the maintaining the truth of the Gospel she hath endured in this world several Torments she shall receive the Crown of Martyrdom If she did overcome the lusts of the flesh and submit her concupiscence to the law of the Spirit she shall obtain the Crown of Virginity If in Marriage she were always faithfull and did never defile her Conjugal Bed she shall receive the Crown of Chastity If she did always give good example relieve the needy preach the word of God convert
Prohibition which they make of Mariage is not universal that it is only forbidden to some particular Persons that Mariage is not absolutely forbidden but only upon condition that you be a Clergy-Man or engag'd in the monastical Life And therefore that St. Paul doth not speak concerning them in the Text above mentioned I answer and shew that it is them that the Apostle means for he did not say the forbiding should be made unto all generally A Prophesy would be needless to give notice unto Men of such a prohibition it would have been immediately abolish'd Every body would have resisted it and stoned the Authors of such a prohibition Neither did he say they should forbid Mariage for such and such a reason but without using any distinction he saith they will forbid to Marry If you should say to a Man I will take away your Life if you dare to come into my house would the taking away the life of that Man be a jot the less Murder because of that forewarning should the Murderer be less guilty than if he had kill'd him out of his House Therefore because they have proposed this Condition that if you will be a Priest or Monk or Nun you shall not Marry is Marriage less forbidden for that upon what condition soever they forbid it yet 't is forbidden and that is all which St. Paul observes they shall forbid to Marry Why do they not leave Mariage free to all Persons in what condition soever they be for the Apostle saith it is honourable unto all if honourable uto all how can it be dishonourable to some and that the Propets the Brethren of the Lord and Cephas used it and he saith that a Bishop must be the Husband of one Wife one that rules well his own House having his Children in Subjection with all gravity for if a Man know not haw to rule his own House how shall he take care of the Church of God 1 Tim. 3. and to avoid Fornication he speaks thus let every Man have his own Wife and let every Woman have her own Husband The Divine law saith thou shalt not commit Adultery thou shalt not be a monger and therefore thou shalt use the means proper to avoid Fornication And St. Paul saith he that cannot contain let him Marry 'T is a Commandment from God made unto all that have not the gift of continency in what state or condition soever they be therefore in such a case all Priests Monks or Nuns may break their vows and it is not sacrilege to 'em to Marry if they cannot contain tho Bellarmin and some Popes say that it is forbidden them to Marry that they cannot take Wifes without displeasing God without living according to the Flesh and consequently being damned From whence it follows that when St. Paul Commands all incontinents to Marry he Commands all incontinent Priests Monks and Nuns to displease God and throw themselves into Eternal Flames They reply that though Sacerdotal Mariage be not forbidden by the Authotity of the old Law nor by that of the Gospel and Apostles yet it is wholly forbidden by the Ecclesiastical Law that is by the Tyrannical Law of Rome To which I answer that since it is not forbidden by the Authority of the old Law nor by that of the Gospel and Apostles it ought not to be by the Ecclesiastical Law for what God leaves free cannot be made necessary by Men and they cannot have better Counsels than those of God of Christ and Apostles and since they were not willing to impose such a Law upon Priests and others who dedicate themselves unto God the ruling part of the Church of Romé ought not to impose it on them CHAP. XVIII Holiness coonsists in the practice of all Vertues and Commandments of God. WHosoever will be Holy and please God 't is not enough for him to embrace one Vertue he ought to espouse them all 't is not sufficient to avoid one vice he must forsake them all without any exception If I have Idols in Abomination and commit sacrilege if I believe that it is not lawful to me to drink Wine and if I abstain from it because of its ill effects and take no care to banish from my Heart Pride and Disobedience which make me fall into Schism and Heresy If I commit Murder and avoid Fornication if I give Alms to to the Poor and wrong the Widow and Fatherless I am very far from Holiness As the works of the Flesh are Adultery Fornication Uncleanness Lasciviousness Idolatry Witchcraft Hatred Variance Emulations Wrath Strife Seditions Heresies Envyings Murders Drunkenness Revilings and such like So the fruit of the Spirit or Holiness is Love Joy Peace long Suffering Gentleness Goodness Faith Meekness Temperance in a word the practice of all Vertues and Commandments of God Gal. 5.19 Whosoever shall keep the whole Law and yet offend in one point he is guilty of all Jam. 2.10 and St. Peter bids us to lay aside all Malice all Guile and Hypocrisies and Envies and Evil speakings 1 Pet. 2.1 The Devil cares but little whether you be chast provided you be Proud or Seditious he cares not at all whether you be Meek provided you commit Adultery or Fornication He knows that without the Practice of all Vertues and Commandments you shall never be saved if thou wilt be saved saith Christ to the Young Man that asked him what he ought to do to obtain Eternal Life keep the Commandments CHAP. XIX Of Predestination and Reprobation CAlvin and those of his Sect that are spred in several places of the World as France England Holland Germany Geneva and round about believe maintain and publish this Doctrine viz. that God did by his Eternal and immutable decree elect a small number of Men to be saved and leave the rest in Damnation without any respect of their Faith or Infidelity good or bad Actions without any other reason but because it is his Will and Pleasure I know that Calvin took great pains in the Lords Vineyard 't is certain that he reformed the Church which was corrupted both in its manners and Doctrine and that he was very Learned and Zealous for the Salvation of the Souls of Men yet though he was very Learned he had his Errors and we must not wonder at it he was a Man and God only cannot Err. And to the end that no Body might say that I wrong Calvin here are his own words We say that God by Eternal and unchangeable Counsel hath once appointed whom in time to come he would take to Salvation and on the other side whom he would condemn to destruction This Course as touching the Elect we say to be grounded upon his free Mercy without any respect of the worthiness of Man. But whom he appointed to Damnation to them by his just indeed and irreprehensible but also incomprehensible judgment the entry of Life is foreclosed Institut l. 3. ç. 21. S. 7. all these things which we have said
that can say with David God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever happy is he who can exclaim with him Ps 42. as the heart panteth after the water brooks so panteth my soul after thee O God. My soul thirsteth for God for the living God my tears have been my meat day and night while continually they say unto me where is thy God 't is as much impossible to satisfie our Soul with the things that are here below as it is impossible to quench a great Fire by adding fewel unto it continually The Reason is this our Soul is spiritual and all that is in the World is material our Soul is made to enjoy God who is soverainly perfect and infinite and all that is in this World is imperfect and finite Why doth bread nourish our Body and poison destroy it the Reason is this bread agreeth with the nature of Men and poison doth not agree with it God alone agreeth with the nature of our Soul and therefore he only is able to satisfie it he Created it for himself by consequence it will never be contented untill it rests in him CHAP. XLII The Covetous Man is always poor and miserable the Liberal always Rich and Happy THE Covetous Man is always Poor He wants as well of what he possesseth as of What he hath not Although all other Sins be hurtful nevertheless they procure some good either to others or to him that sinneth But Covetousness is hurtful unto all Men as well in general as in particular for whilst the Covetous Man hideth his Money and will neither use it nor distribute a part of it for the relief of the poor it profits no Body not so much as to the Covetous Man. He is more unhappy than the other Sinners for though they have no Joy to hope in the other World yet they receive some in this present Life but the Covetous Man hath none in this World nor in the other No Covetous Person which is an Idolater hath any Inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God Ephes 5. he is unworthy to have a place either with the Angels above in Heaven or with Men below in Earth He is miserable in his Life for he is always Poor He is hated of his nearest Relations to whom if he doth any good 't is only after Death being not able to carry away his Money along with him And there is Danger whilst he is in the World either it will happen to him that which happened Ananias and Saphira who for their Coveteousness were punished by a sudden Death or he falls into the same misfortune as Judas who for the Love of Money having sold his good Master hang'd himself It is not so with the liberal he gives and wants nothing He knoweth he that bestows his goods upon the Poor for Gods sake will no more want than the poor Widow wanted oyl and Meal when she relieved Elias Give saith Christ Luc. 6.38 and it shall be given you He that gives to the Poor gives to Christ for as much saith he as ye have done it unto one of the least of those my Brethren ye have done it unto me Mat. 25.40 when we appear before him in the day of Judgment by the works of Mercy he will Judg us The more a Man gives to the needy the more he is like God his Creator who gives to all and receives nothing from any Many do spend a great deal of Money to Adorn their Houses with Fine and Rich Furniture and to make when they are dead a magnificent and splended Burial to the end that they obtain some Reputation amongst Men but they would be more esteemed if what they spend in these trifles and vanities they would bestow it upon the poor All those fine Beds Rich Tapistries and splendid Furnitures have no tongue to praise them as the Poor have By distributing their goods in the hands of the needy they send them into Heaven where neither moth nor rust shall corrupt them and where thiefs cannot break through to steal them away Therefore happy is he who stretches out his hands to the needy He that gives to the Poor shall not lack the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a Curse Prov. 28.27.31.20 Ps 41.1 CHAP. XLIII We must submit our Flesh to the Spirit WHosoever you are you shall have always occasion to fight in this World because you carry in your bosom an Enemy from whom you shall never be freed till after Death The Flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the Flesh and these are contrary the one to the other and so united together that whilst we are here below the one cannot be without the other And yet they are so divided that the Life of one is the Death of th' other Walk in the Spirit saith Paul for if ye Live after the Flesh ye shall Die but if ye mortifie the deeds of the Body ye shall live take away the wood from the Fire and the heat shall abate Take away Oat and Hay from a young wild Horse you make him tame and Obedient to his Master if you grant to your Body all that it desires if you give it drink eat and sleep abundantly it will overcome your Soul. But if you assist your Soul with fasting watching and Prayer it will with the Grace of God master your Body Is it not better to your Soul to be the Mistress that both Body and Soul may be saved than to see one and the other eternally damn'd if you let your body master your Soul he that loveth his Life shall loose it and he that hateth his Life in this World shall keep it unto Eternal Life Jo. 12.25 Though St. Paul were a Vessel of Election yet saith he I keep under my Body and bring it into Subjection least by any means when I have Preached to others I my self should be cast away 1 Cor. 9.27 Daniel was mourning three full Weeks and eat no pleasant bread nor came Flesh nor Wine in his mouth neither did he anoint himself at all till three whole Weeks were over then lifting up his Eyes he had immediately Visions from Heaven and Revelations from God Dan. 10. though J. Christ had no need of fasting to subdue his Flesh to the Spirit nevertheless to give an Example he fasted Fourty Days and Fourty Nights Take heed saith he Luc. 21.34 least at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness and cares of this Life and so that day come upon you unawares CHAP. XLIV Idleness ought to be avoided WIll you avoid Evil and Vice avoid Idleness it is the Mother and Nurse of it Idleness brings much evil Eccl. 33.26 The running water affords the best Fishes but the standing does commonly produce but Frogs Toads and Serpents The Earth which is barren and not Till'd brings forth only Bryers and Thorns The Fowler doth not commonly shoot
Souls turning them from sin to righteousness she shall obtain an incorruptible Crown of Glory that shall shine eternally and be cloathed with that fair white Garmnet whereof it is spoken in the Revelations She will rejoyce because the winter of her afflictions is past and seeth her self free from all diseases troubles and other Infirmities which are the common attendants of a Man as long as he is in this World. She will rejoyce because she seeth her self in a place wherein there is a light without any darkness a beauty without any deformity a happiness without any trouble a comfort without any end wherein the law is love and life Eternity and whose glory is such that according to St. Paul no tongue is able to express it nor understanding to conceive And in that happy and glorious state in the Company of an innumerable number of Saints and Angels in the sweet and lovely presence of her God and Saviour she thanks and praises him for all his Mercies Favours and Kindness She sings an eternal Allelujah and saith aloud praise honour and glory and power and thanks be unto thee O Blessed Lamb who settest upon the Throne wast killed and hast redeemed us to God by the Blood out of every Kindred and Tongue and People and Nation and hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests to raign with thee in thy Kingdom for evermore Amen CHAP. XXXIX The World is a Cheat. WHo in this World ever found a joy without sorrow or a peace without trouble or a perfect health without any pain The World promiseth but always deceiveth It makes us hope for great good but gives us onely ills As the Magicians make us see sometimes fine gardens filled with flowers or trees laden with pleasant fruits but if we put forth our hands either to gather the flowers or taste the fruits we soon find that they are not such as they appear to our Eyes Even so the World endeavours to perswade us that the goods which it offers unto us are true but indeed they are not such When we have tasted them we find by experience it is all but vanity And if for sometimes we enjoy any real pleasures or honours it cheats us always by withdrawing them sooner than we thought If it gives us long life 't is to the end that we may commit sins if it shortneth our days 't is to the intent we may have no time to repent Jacob served seven years with Laban for his Daughter Rachel he deserved her Laban promised her unto him and yet instead of the beautifull Rachel he gave him Lya the bleareyed So the World doeth it promiseth one thing and gives another Jobs Friends agreed together to come and comfort him in his affliction Job 2.11 but these very Friends were angry with him spoke ill of him and provoked him 4.1 Josephs Brethren sold him to the Ishmaelites took his Coat made of several colours dip'd it in a Goats blood which they killed for this purpose brought it to their Father shewing in their countenance much sorrow and astonishment and made him believe that a wild Beast devoured him Gen. 37. the World is like a Fisherman he hides his hook with bait to allure the Fish Latet anguis in herba The whore of Babylon offers a mortal Poyson in a golden Cup the Ignorant are deceived by it not perceiving the Poyson hidden therein Joab took Amaza by the Chin with his right hand and stabbed him with the left 2 Sam. 20.9 Judas saluted J. Christ his Master and in giving him a token of his friendship with a kiss betrayed him and delivered him into the hands of his Enemies When the World shews you a fine countenance mistrust it for it will cheat you Your most faithfull Friend will perhaps become your greatest Enemy It will do to you as the Quick-silver doth to the Gold for though it be very much united with it yet as soon as it is put into the Furnace it evaporates and forsakes the Gold. When you are in poverty and distress your greatest Friends will no more look upon you they will avoyd your Company and will find pretence to forsake you So goeth the World it is a cheat you must not trust it nolite confidere in filiis hominum in quibus non est salus Put not thy trust in the Sons of Men for there is no help in them Ps 143.3 CAAP. XL. Mistrust the World trust in God only IF you trust the World expect to be deceived it will forsake you when you have the most need of it put not thy trust in Princes nor in the Sons of Men for there is no help in them Cursed be the Man that trusteth in Man and maketh Flesh his Arm and withdraw his Heart from the Lord Jer. 17.5 Haman trusted too much in Assuerus Favour he caused a Gallows to be erected of fifty Cubits high he designed Mardochee should be hang'd thereon but himself was put in his Place Esth 6.18 Man is a broken Reed what can you hope of him what ground can you make of him turn then all your Confidence on him who neither will nor can cheat you O Lord saith David Blessed is the Man that trusteth in thee Ps 84.12 He is the Fountain of all goods If you will enjoy a quiet and Peaceable Conscience trust in him only but some one may say I mistrust the World and trust God only and yet I do not perceive that I am free from several troubles which vex me every day Will you know the reason of it your Confidence is false avoid evil and do good eschew Sin embrace Vertue and trust in God alone your assurance shall be true and then you will feel a Joy which you do not peceive for the present Happy is the Man whose force and strength and refuge God is in the day of Affliction was there ever any confounded that trusted in him who hath continued in fear and was forsaken whom did he ever despise that called upon him 't is he that forgives all our iniquities healeth all our Diseases redeemeth us from Destruction Crowns us with loving kindness and tender Mercies Ps 103.3 therefore O my Soul trust thou in God only and do good Ps 37.3 CHAP. XLI Nothing is able to satisfie our Soul but God alone TAste as much as you please of the honours pleasures and vanities of this world you will never be satisfied You will be like men in dropsie who the more they drink the more thirsty they be You will be like those that eat salt to quench their thirst and throw oyl on fire to extinguish it Ye have sown much saith God by his Prophet Haggai and bring in little ye eat but ye have not enough ye cloth you but there is none warm 1. 6. nothing can satisfie us but God. Without him all pleasure is pain all joy is sorrow and all riches poverty Happy then is he that seeks and loves him with all his heart Happy is he