heere distinguish betweene Image and likenesse Saint Basil in Hexam Hom. 10. Ambrose lib. De dignitate conditione humanae Lomb. 1. sent Dist. 16. and Aquin. vpon our text referre Image to the naturall giftes of the soule will vnderstanding memory but likenesse to the supernaturall gifts of grace holinesse and righteousnesse which occasioned Eucherius to say Imago est omnium similitudo paucorum Aquine doth auow that Gods Image may be seene in the most admirable frame of the body but the likenesse in our mindes onely For as Bernard obserues the mind of man is properly Gods similitude wherein there be three powers or faculâ—…ies Memory Vnderstanding Will. In our memory wee resemble God the Father which is the ancient of dayes Dan. 7. 9. In our vnderstanding God the Sonne in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge Colos. 2. 3. in our will God the holy Ghost by whom his grace worketh all in all 1. Cor. 12. 6. The which opinion Augustine fauoureth in his 102. Epistle and S. s Ambrose in his Treatise concerning mans dignity saith as the Sonne is begotten of the Father and the Holy Spirit proceedeth from both euen so the will is begotten as it were by the vnderstanding and memory proceedes from both Now beloued howsoeuer it be true that these naturall giftes of reason and supernaturall giftes of grace were conferred by God vpon man in his creation Yet if wee compare one Scripture with another it will appeare that Moses here makes no difference betweene likenesse and Image But that as Caluin and u other obserue they doe signifie the same thing For in the next verse without any mention of the word likenesse it is sayd that God created man in his Image in the Image of God created hee him And in the 5. Chapter at the 1. verse without any mention of the word Image God created Adam in the likenesse of God made he him And so the meaning of our text in our Image according to our likenesse is nothing else but in our Image which is likest vs. As if the Lord had sayd let vs make man in our Image that he may be as a creature may be like vs and the same his likenesse may bee our Image But wee shall vnderstand more fully what is Gods Image by considering in what part of man it was placed u Audius the founder of the monstrous Anthropomorphite heresie supposed it was placed in the figure of the body which lest happily there should be raysed any wicked errour which they would not acknowledge for their owne the Papistes are content to like well and defend in whose Churches and other places of deuotion it is euery where to find the likenesse of God the Father depictured vpon their walles and windowes in the figure of a man As if they had learned of Zeuxis to draw his Physiognomy and they professe it lawfull both to haue such Images and to worship them also from our text that God created Adam in his likenesse But it is a strange peruersenesse quoth Tertullian aduersus Marcion Lib. 2. Cap. 27. To thinke that there are humane thinges in God rather then diuine thinges in man and to conceiue of God to haue the Image of a man rather then a man to haue the Image of God Other affirme that the likenesse of God is placed in the mind only For saith Ambrose who sayd let vs make man in our Image Was it not God and what is God flesh and bones or a spirit Christ answereth in the 4. of S. Iohn at the 24. verse God is a spirit Ergo man is like to God as being endued with an vnderstanding spirit But because God created the whole man in his Image consisting of a body made of the dust of the ground and of a soule that was the breath oâ—… life which being vnited by the spirit became a liuing soule It is euident so farre as their seuerall nature could conteine that God creaâ—…ed in that Image both body and soule But as waxe is more apt then clay to receiue a print So the soule being a spirit was much more capable of the impression of the Image of God Yet that which the body could receiue it did in very notable sort expresse being so wonderfully framed of such an excellent proportion and beauty that no creature in the world may be compared with it and moreouer of so sound a temperature that had not Adam sinned it would haue continued without corruption for euer But the soule being a spirit as God is a spirit it is apter a great deale to beare Gods Image For in the very substance of the soule there is a liuely print thereof not as though the soule were of the substance of God for as Augustine pithily distinguisheth it is 〈◊〉 deo non de deo But first in that it is a substance spirituall and immortall as God is the liuing God Heb. 10. 31. Secondly for that it is indued with vnderstanding and memorie which are the very character of Gods wisdome Thirdly in respect of quicknesse and agility conceiuing at one time so many matters so different so farre distant which is the shadow of Gods vbiquity But St. Paul in saying man was in the beginning created after the Image of God in knowledge Colos. 3. 10. And the same in righteousnesse and holinesse Ephes. 4. 24. Shewes plainely that this Image consists not so much in the substance of the soule or in the naturall faculties thereof as in the supernaturall giftes of grace knowledge illumination holinesse Iustice of the soule For Adam had an illuminated vnderderstanding and a rectified will louing God aboue all things and his neighbour as himselfe The two wordes of S. Paul Holinesse and Righteousnesse conteine mans whole duty holinesse his duty to God righteousnesse his duty to man In this Image man was created and so consequently this Image consists in the soule more then in the body and in the supernaturall graces of the soule more then in the naturall powers of the soule For 1. If this Image consisted onely in the soules spirituall essence then it would follow that wicked spirits and wicked men should haue Gods Image because the substance of the spirit and soule remaineth in them but the scripture teacheth expresly that the wicked haue not Gods Image but the deuils stampe So Christ affirmed of Iudas haue not I chosen you twelue and one of you is a deuill and S. Peter when he committed a foule fact come behind me Sathan Mat. 16. 23. and of the Pharisees yee are of your father the deuill Iohn 8. 44. And the text is plaine 1. of Iohn 3. 8. he that committeth sin is of the deuill 2. God cannot properly be sayd to damne his owne Image or to send it into hell fire but the soules of reprobate sinners are damned Ergo this Image is not altogether in the soules substance that Image saith Ambrose wherein
thine own fashion and face Turne not away thine eye from beholding his countenance though hee seeme neuer so despicable but consider and that seriously this vnhappy wretch is a man as well as I and if our good God blesse mee not I may become such a man as hee Blind as hee Naked as hee Forsaken of friends as hee Lamed in limbes as hee Maymed in minde as he Whatsoeuer then I would that men should doe vnto mee let me while I haue time doe to them I would that all men in such an agonie should doe good vnto me why then I am bound to doe good vnto all men Now for our direction in breaking bread to men of all sorts two things are to bee considered especially Their Worth Their Want All men are to bee releiued in adversity yet more specially the Houshold of Faith and among the faithfull also the better man is to haue the better maundie for other things being alike the neerer vnto Christ ought euer to bee deerer vnto vs. He that beleeueth in him is our Brother and Sister and Mother The soule of euery man is next to himselfe or rather as diuine Plato sayd his own flesh They therefore which are allyed in good vnto the soule are more neere then they which are allyed in blood onely to the body Sanctior est copula cordium quam corporum the coniunction of the spirit is more high and holy then any coniunction of the flesh If the soule be the better gentleman then alliance by the soule must of necessitie bee most honourable but when our kinsman is a good man allyed each way both in respect of his generation and regeneration vndoubtedly two bonds are more strong then one Such a man ought to haue the prime place both in our loues and loaues Iohn in his 3 Epistle commending highly Caius his hospitality saith hee did faithfully to the brethren and strangers hee did entertaine both the one and other But first the Brethren and then afterward Strangers as Aretius expoundes that text or as Loâ—…inus especially strangers if Brethren As for the want of our brethren Esay saith heere deale thy bread to the Hungrie So Iob I was a father to the poore when thou makest a feast inuite the poore saith our Sauiour Luke 14. 13. Laudent te quoth Hierom Esurientium viscera non ructantium opulenta conuiuia the feeding of the hungrie Lazare commeÌ„ds thee more then the feasting of the belching Epicure It is lawful I know to feast our rich acquaintance for Christ himselfe did grace with his owne presence neighbourly meetings and friendly feasts as opportunity serued The Phenix of Germanie reuerend Melancthon I meane was exceeding courteous in this kind being often inuited and often inuiting Loue-feasts in the iudgment of all Orthodoxe diuines are commendable when moderation is one dish at the Table But let vs take heed lest happily wee waste so much vpon the pampering of great ones as that wee neglect some of Christs little ones lying crying at our gates for hunger It is a kind of sacriledge quoth Hierom rem pauperum dare non pauperibus to bestow that portion of bread vpon the hautie which is properly due to the hungrie Woe to them saith Amos that eate the Lambes of the stocke and the Calues of the stall and drinke wine in boules but are not sorrie for the affliction of Ioseph And as in breaking of our bread wee should consider the want of the hungrie so likewise the true causes of their want for that which our blessed Sauiour sayd of the Eunuch Math. 19. 12. may bee well applyed vnto the poore Some bee borne so some made so by others and some haue made themselues so Some borne poore namely beggers children vnregarded fatherlesse orphants especially such as are Creeples or blind Some made poore by others and that either by the cruell oppression of men as they whose Landes and estates haue been deuoured by byting vsurie tedious sutes in Law cunning and crafty bargaines Or by the iust hand of God as the wounded souldâ—…er in the quarell of his Country the banckrout Merchant in suffering shipwracke the decayed husbandman by fire consuming his goods by murreyne consuming his cattle by Catterpillers and mildewes consuming his fruits by grieuous plagues sicknesse vexing himselfe and the rest of his Family some be made poore by themselues as the riotous spend all and idle get-nothing Now they which are made poore by some great disaster are to bee relieued before those which haue made themselues poore by their own disorder The very Barbarians vsed no little kindnes to Paul and his company who suffered shipwracke Acts. 28. Seneca though hee neuer learned Christ as wee yet hee could not but exceedingly deplore the lamentable destruction of Lions in France consumed in one night sticke stone by fire Vna tantum nox interfuit inter ciuitatem maximam et nullam At night that Citty was none which in the morning was non-such Quis taliafando temper et à lachymis what man is so banckrout of good nature senslesse of miserie but is readie to doe good to those of Gods house which haue suffered insupportable losses by wind and water and fire whose very Mercies as Solomon sayd of the wicked are Cruelties As the Schoolemen say that there is ignorantia vincibilis and inuincibilis an ignorance which a man is able to conquer and an ignorance which hee cannot ouercome So there be 2. kindes of pouertie a vincible pouertie which a good man ouercomes by his industrie and an inuincible pouertie that no man is able to resist or repayre for as the Scripture speaketh it commeth vpon him as one that trauaileth and as an armed man So suddenly so strongly that no labour or dolour is able to withstand it As for example the diligent Merchant runneth his Ship into the furthest end of the world to get goods and gold Impiger extremos currit mercator ad Indos Per mare pauperiem fugiens per saxa per ignes So the painefull artificer to prouide for his family riseth vp early and goes to bed lately eating the bread of carefulnesse as the Prophet speakes Psal. 127. 3. So the toyling labourer to sustaine his poore charge worketh vntill hee bee ready to sleepe for very wearinesse and then in his sleepe hee dreames of his worke Yet of ten times it comes to passe that these diligent honest actiue men are not able sufficiently to releiue their houshold without helpe from others And therefore let vs in breaking our bread remember Solomons aduise Cast thy bread vpon the waters super aquas transeuntes as it is in the vulgar latine not vpon standing waters vpon such as either stand in the Market or sit in the Tauerne all the day idle But vpon the stirring waters vpon industrious labourers in a lawfull occupation or office Let the prodigall a little while feed on huskes
being nothing else but a type of the new and the new nothing else but a trueth of the old The whole saith Iacobus de Valentia consists of one Syllogisme the Law and the Prophets are the Maior all that Christ did and sayd the Minor the writings of the blessed Euangelists and Apostles inferre the conclusion or the Gospell is hidden in the Law like the conclusion in the premises But albeit the Scriptures be deepe yet as Gregory speakes it is a riuer wherein the little lambe may wade so well as the great Elephant swimme it is the rolle of a booke spread abroad and written within and without Ezec. 2. 9. 10. In some places it is rolled vp from the most searching wits in other spread abroad to the capacities of the most simple Testamentum est testatio mentis Gods word therefore being his Testament reueales as much of his will as is to bee knowen In it wee may find the Father from whom and the Son by whom and the holy Ghost in whom are all things and therefore should bee much in our handes in our eyes in our eares in our mouthes but most of all in our hearts as Fulgentius saith it affordes enough abundantly for men to eate and children to sucke Maximus compares it to a man The old Testament resembling the body and the new Testament the soule or the letter of the Prophets is the body and the meaning is the soule and as the mortall part of man is seene but that which is immortall vnseene So the letter of the Scriptures is plaine but the spirit in some places inuolued and not easily discerned One deepe calling vpon another deepe S. Augustine and Hugo de S. Vict vnderstand it thus the depth of Gods knowledge findeth out the depth of mans heart for the Lord searcheth vs out he knoweth our downe-sitting and our vprising hee is about our paths and about our bed and spieth out all our wayes and vnderstandeth all our thoughts long before Psal 139. It is the duty then of euery Christian especially tempted to sinne to resolue with holy Ioseph How can I do this great wickednesse and so sinne against God Is there any thing so secret that shall not be disclosed If I commit it in the wood shall not a bird of the aire cary the voice that which hath wings declare the matter Ecclesiastes 10. 20. If I sinne in the forrest am I now to learne that a beast hath spoken Or if birdes and beasts happily should hold their peace would not as Christ sayd in the like case the very stones cry Luke 19. 40. If in my closet or study shall not my bookes of deuotion especially the Bible witnesse against mee There is one that accuseth you quoth our Sauiour to the Iewes euen Moses that is Moses law the which as it was once spoken by God so it dayly speakes in Gods cause to God Or if all these be silent shall not the sinne it selfe like the blood of Abel cry for reuenge Plutarch aduiseth vs so circumspectly to demeane our selues as if our enemies alway beheld vs. Seneca counselleth vs to liue so well as if Cato Laelius or some reuerend person of great wisedome and account ouerlooked vs. Thales Milesius in the committing of any sinne wished vs when wee were alone to bee afraid of our selues and our owne conscience which is instead of a thousand witnesses a thousand Iuries a thousand Iudges te sine teste time saith Ausonius S. Paul exhorts women to carry themselues in Gods house reuerently because of the Angels obseruing their behauiour But our text tels vs yet a better way then all these which is to remember alway that the depth of Gods science calleth vnto the depth of our conscience If any be deiected in his mind for that hee cannot remember the good lessons hee dayly reads in bookes and heares in sermons let him bee comforted againe because this one precept concerning Gods omni-presence comprehends amnia media et remedia all meanes and medicines for the curing of his sicke soule If he beare still in mind this one poynt that all things are naked to Gods eye Heb. 4. 13. Yea hell it selfe Iob 26. 6. To his eye which is all eye Ten thousand times brighter then the Sunne Ecclesiasticus 23. 19. He hath already commenced Doctor in Israel and is a liuing and a walking library knowing so much as may serue for the well ordering of his whole life Gregory the great construeth our text thus one iudgement of God calleth vp another for his iudgements are a great depth Psal. 36. 6. So deepe that they be past finding out Rom. 11. 33. When as therefore for feare of Gods iudgement we iudge our selues one deepe occasioneth another and that at the noyse of the water pipes or cloudes which are the preachers exhorting vs as S. Paul his Corinthians If yee would iudge your selues yee should not be iudged Arnobius expoundeth it thus one deepe calleth another deepe When Christ on earth and in the nethermost hell also called to God the Father in the Highest Heauen the strong crying of our Blessed Sauiour vnto God with teares Heb. 5. 7. Was a very deepe base and Gods counter-verse was sung with an exceeding high voyce from heauen of heauen This is my beloued sonne in whom I am well pleased Mat. 3 17. One deepe calleth another deepe when as truth flourished out of the earth and righteousnesse looked downe from heauen Psal. 85. 11. Hugo Cardinalis and Lyra thus Abyssus abyssum inuocat that is peccatum peccatum prouocat As one deepe calleth another deepe So one sinne prouoketh and calleth vp another sinne Pride to maintaine her selfe calleth vp Nigardise Gluttony calleth vp Wantonnesse Malice calls vp Murther Vnthriftinesse calls vp in great ones Oppression In the poore theeuery an vncleane thought calls vp vnsauoury wordes and bad wordes corrupt good manners and corruption in manners breeds a custome in sin and custome in sinne brings men to sencelesnesse in sinne such as giue themselues ouer or sell themselues to commit iniquity proceed from euill to worse Ieremy 9. 3. and fall from one wickednesse to another Psalme 69. 28. First there is walking in the counsell of the vngodly then standing in the way of sinners last of all sitting in the seate of the scornefull Hee that blowes a feather into the ayre or throwes a piece of paper into the riuer knowes not where it will settle So hee that begins with a sinne knowes not when or where it will end Herod happily began with a little dalliance but afterward he committed incest and that darling sinne caused him to adde yet this aboue all the rest of his faults to shut vp Iohn in prison And so Dania glutted with a large meale lusted after Bath saba and that fire did rage till hee had committed vncleannesse with her and for the couering of that foule fact
questioned for a non conformitant and entreated by the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury most meekly to subscribe in his priuat study saying that none were present there but only God and themselues and faithfully promising that hee would keepe his counsell answered stoutly that if his Grace could bring him into some roome where God was not present hee would willingly fulfill his desire but sayth he so long as God seeth I little regard who seeth not I report not in dis honour of subscription vnto the decent and commendable ceremonies inioyned by lawfull authority for this Doctour by seeking Gods face found in coâ—…clusion his owne errour and so reforming himselfe do henioye great preser ment in our Church at this day Diocles the monke among other instructions which he gaue to Palladius when he came to visite him vttered this â—…pothegme that a good man if he neglect to see Gods face becomes either a beast or a deuill a beast in hunting after carnall sinnes a deuill by rushing into spirituall wickednesse A valiant souldier fighting in his generals eye carrieth himselfe against all his enemies vndauntedly for that he knows he shal be worthily rewarded eafter victory how much more then ought euery Christian in the spiritual warfare beholding as S. Stephen did his Captaine Iesus standing at the right hand of God couragiously sight against the world the flesh and the â—…ill as being assured that after his good fight is finished a crowne of righteousnesse is layd vp for him and a most excellent and eternall weight of glory Christ pronounceth in the 5 of S. Matthew blessednesse not only to the pure in heart but also to the poore in spirit to those that mourne to the meeke to the mercifull to such as hunger and thirst afâ—…er righteousnesse to peace-makers to Martyrs enduring persecution in a iust cause all which blessednesses arise from this one roote the contemplation of Gods holy presence by this the faithfull are made humble Lord saith Abraham vnto God I am dust and ashes and Paul as clay in the hand of the potter By this the faithfull are mooued to shed teares both of denotion and contrition vnderstanding that all their righteousnesse is as filthy cloutes and that if God should enter into iudgement with them in his sight no man liuing shall be iust fied Psal. 143. 2. By this the faithfull are meeke as hauing their copie still in their eye Learne of mee for I am meeke and lowly in heart By this the faithfull are mercifull imitating as children their father in heauen which is mercifull By this the faithfull hunger and thirst after righteousnesse for the more they seeke Gods face the more they see and the more they see the more they desire to see By this the faithfull are peace-makers as hauing peace with God and in God peace with men and by both a peace with themselues By this the faithfull are more constant and couragiousâ—… in suffering persecution for righteousnesse sake because they beleeue that the Lord is their strength and that he is a rewarder of those that seeke him Heb. 11. 6. To seeke Gods face then is our greatest happines vtterly to neglect this duty the greatest vnhappines and folly it is our chiefe felicity so God to Moses as concerning his people My presence shall goe with thee and I will giue thee rest and Dauid vnto God I will behold thy presence in righteousnesse and when I awake after thy likenesse I shall be satisfied with it To despise this holy denotion is extreame folly for the feare of God is the beginning of wisedome and they that doe thereafter haue a good vnderstanding But such as haue not God in their thoughts and so runne head-long into grieuoâ—…s sinnes in the language of Canaan are fooles and mâ—…d men so foolishas the witlesse Ostrich which as Iob reports in Cap 39. of his booke leaueth his egges in the earth and makes them hâ—… in the dust and forgetteth that the fooâ—…e might scarter them or that the wild beast might breake the 〈◊〉 and as Plinie further addeth hee thrusteth his necke into the stumpe of a hollow tree and so woodcocke-like when he sees no body thinks no body sees him vnwise people when will ye vnderstand he that planted the eare shall not hee heare or he that made the eye shall not he see Whither then will ye goe from his spirit and whither can yee flee from his presence If yee climbe vp into heauen he is there If ye descend downe into hell he is there also If ye say peraduenture the darkenesse shall couer vs instantly the night shall be turned into day yea the darkenesse is no darkenes with him but the night is as cleare as the day the darknes and light to him are both alike The most impious cannot but walke with him in respect of his omni-presence filling heauen and earth and searching out their wordes and actions and the secret corners of their hearts in affectu habent abscondere saith Ambrose non in effectu Well may they before men play least in sight but before God none dwell at Hide etiam solus est praesens his qui longe sunt ab ipso God is nigh vnto those which are furthest off from him albeit their hearts seeke not his face yet his face seekes their hearts euermore Thinke on this all yee that forget God and tremble to consider what extreame madnes it is in the committing of a filthie sinne to shunne the sight of a seely man a wight a worme to shunne I say the dull eyes of a sonne of a seruant of a little child yet not to feare the face of God our Father in heauen our Master our Maker our Iudge which is able to destroy both our soules and bodies in hell â—…ire Thus I haue shewed at large what is to bee sought and in part also vpon the by how to bee sought one poynt only remaineth vntouched and that is in what measure to wit how much and how long the seede of Abraham ought to seekâ—… Gods face Touching the first Esay telleth vs in a word si quaeritis quaerite If yee seeke the Lord seeke him in deed eanrestly seriously sedulously Dauid insinuateth as much in repeating here the word seeke thrise seeke the Lord seeke his strength seeke his face quià saith Hugo Cardinalis Dominus quaerendus est sicut et diligendus As God is to bee loued so to be sought with all our heart and with all our soule and with all our mind that is saith Augustine with all our vnderstanding neuer thinking of him erroniously with all our will neuer contradicting him obstinatly with all our memory neuer forgetting him obliuiously Againe whereas our Prophet saith in the clause going before our text immediatly let the heart of them reioyce that seeke the Lord He doth intimate that God is to be sought not dully but fully not heauily but ioyfully For as God loueth a cheerfull giuer so likewise
S. Augustine and of Franciscus Arias in his tract Depraesentia Dei cap 2. Who by Gods face vnderstand Gods presence So the Scripture by the face of the wind and by the face of frost and fire meaneth as you know the presence of these things as in Psalme 68. Like as waxe melteth ante faciem ignis before the fires face So let the vngodly perish at the presence of God So Hagar is sayd to flee from the face of her mistresse Sara Gen. 16. 8 So Pharaoh to Moses Exod. 10. 28. Get thee from mee Looke thou see my face no more So Adam is sayd to hide himselfe from Gods face Gen. 3. 8. and Satan Iob 1. 12. Egressus est à facie Domini that is he departed from Gods presence to seeke then euermore Gods face is nothing else but seriously to consider and contemplate that he is alwayes present with vs in euery thought word and deed Plutarch aduiseth vs so circumspectly to demeane our selues as if â—…r enemies alwayes beheld vs Seneca counselleth vs to liue so well as if Cato Laelius or some reuerend Person of great wisdome and account ouerlooked vs Thalis Milesius in the coÌ„mitting of any sin wished vs when we are alone to be afraid of our selues and of our owne conscience which is in stead of a thousand witnesses te sine teste time saith Ausonius S. Paul exhorteth women to cary themselues in Gods house reuerently because of the Angels as being assured that the glorious Angels in heauen obserue their behauiour But our text teacheth vs yet a better way then all these which is to seeke Gods face to remember that God searcheth vs out knowing our downe-sitting and our vprising and that he standeth about our paths and about our beds and spieth out all our wayes A pious exercise highly commended in the Scriptures and in the Fathers and by the practise of holy men in all ages The Scriptures in reporting that Enoch and Noe walked with God intimate that those holy Patriarchs had set God alwayes before them and that they liued so religiously tanquam sub eius oculis as vnder his obseruing and all-seeing eye they walked as St. Luke recordeth of Zacharias and Elizabeth in all the commandements and ordinances of the Lord without reproofe they considered the wayes of God and turned their feete vnto his Testimonies as our Prophet speaks of himselfe Psal. 119. 59. They did endeauour and set their hearts to haue not only good credit before men but alâ—… with S. Paul to keepe a cleare conscience before God In this sense God sayd to Father Abraham walke before mee Gen. 17. 1. And Abraham againe concerning God the Lord before whom I walke Gen. 24. 40. So the Prophet Elias and Eliseus speake The Lord God in whose sight â—… stand The text inioyning vs always to pray poynts at this duty that wee should seeke Gods face continually for our desires and thoughts are the voyces and wordes by which our soule speakes If then at any time wee lift our hearts vnto the Lord wee may be sayd and that truely to pray which occasioned Diuines to terme prayer an humble familiarity with God He that will alwayes conuerse with God must alwayes either reade the Scripture saith Augustine or else pray for as often as we read his word he talketh with vs and as often as we pray we talke with him When our Prophet sings in 123. Psalme Vnto thee lift I vp mine eyes O thou that dwellest in the heauens He doth vnderstand not eyes of his flesh only but eyes of his faith also seeing him which is inuisible Heb 11. 27. But the spirit by the mouth of Solomon as yet speakes more plainly Prou. 3. 6. In all thy wayes acknowledge God and he shall direct thy goings in omnibus vijs cogita Deum as the vulgar latine runnes in euery thing thou takest in hand thinke on God or as our translation haue respect vnto him as Tobie to his sonne Set God alwayes before thine eyes behold him as a Iudge and so shame to sinne before the Iudges eye behold him as thy great reward and so faint not in doing good Behold him as authour and finisher of thy faith and so runne with patience the race which is set before thee Behold him as the Donor of euery good and perfit gift and so confesse that he worketh all thy works for thee by whose grace thou art whatsoeuer thou art S. Augustine beginneth his heauenly meditations in this stile Domine Deus meus da cordi meo te desiderare desiderando quaerere quaerendo inuenire inueniendo amare amando mala mea redâ—…mpta non iterare O Lord giue me grace from the very bottom of mine heart to desire thee in desiring to seeke thee in seeking to find thee in finding to loue thee in louing vtterly to loath my former wickednes And in his soules soliloquies or priuat talke with God he prayeth in like manner O Lord who knowest me giue me grace to know thee O my comforter shew me thy selfe let mee see thee which art the light of mine eyes mirth of my spirit ioy of my heart life of my soule It is a good Motto thinke and thanke God there is no moment of time wherein God cares not for vs and therefore saith a Bernard no moment of time wherein we should not seeke him especially when we come to his house to call vpon his Holy Name for how prayâ—…s hee to God who prates in his heart to the world intende quoth the same Father 〈◊〉 qui intendit tibi Christ promised to be with vs in our deuotions euen in the middest of vs Mat. 18. 20. but as Eusebius Emisenus obserueth how shall God bee in the mids of thee if thou be not in the mids of thy selfe If the aduocate sleepe how shall the Iudge awake No maruaile if thou loose thy sute when as in praying thou loosest thy selfe Hilary writing vpon the words of the Psalmist all my wayes are before thee notes that the Prophet making his course before Gods eye to whom all hearts are open and no secrets hid walked not in the counsell of the wicked nor stood in the way of sinners his feete did not goe downe to death and his steps take hold of hell but his whole pilgrimage was a seeking of the Lord and as S. Paul phraseth it he did so runne that he did obteyne Seneca though he were not a Doctour in Diuinity yet he wrote in his 10 Epistle lib. 1. Diuine-like to this purpose Sic viue cum hominibus quast deus videat sic loquere cum Deo quasi homines audiant So conuerse with men as if God did euer see thee so conferre with God as if men did euer heare thee and in another Epistle God is neere to thee with thee within thee so it is Lucilius that a sacred spirit resideth in vs as a custos and obseruer of all that we doe
whether it be good or bad A sweet speech according to Godsowne heart for as S. Ambrose doth auow whosoeuer speakes a thing which is true speaketh it from the spirit of trueth Not to trouble you with any further discourse the consideration of this one poynt that God is omni-present conteineth in it all other rules for the well ordering of whole life so that if any be deiected in his mind for that he cannot remember the good lessons hee dayly reades in bookes and heares in Sermons let him be con tented againe because this one prescript comprehends omnia media et remedia all meanes and medicines for the curing of his sicke soule but because Gershon a great clearke professeth hee hath sometimes beene foure houres together in working his heart ere hee could frame it to he Diuine meditation of God I purpose to treate first of the meanes how to get it and then of the fruites arising from it For the first euery good gift is from aboue comming downe from the Father of lights and prayer is like the fiery chariot of Elia where by we mount vp and conuerse with God on high It is the key of Paradise gates and the hand of a Christian able to reach from earth to heauen and to take foorth vnsearchable riches ouâ—… of the Lords treasure the Scripture saith as much in plaine termes aske and yee shall haue seeke and yee shall find knocke and it shall be opened vnto you what soeuer ye shall aske the Father in my Name he will giue it you Feruent prayer then vnto which almighty God denyes nothing is a maine meanes of this holy deuotion and pious exercise Another way to seeke Gods face continually is to haue some remarkeable sentences concerning this argument written in the roomes wee most vse for example that of Solomon Prou. 15. 3. The eyes of the Lord in euery place behold the euill and the good Or that of Dauid I haue set God alwayes before me Or that of Paul Heb. 4. 13. All things are naked and open to his eyes with whom wee haue to doe Or that of Augustine God is all eye Totus oculus qui minime fallitur quià minime clauditur saith Bernard Or that of Lipsius eum nulla vis humana elidet aut acumen eludet God commanded in the 15 of Numb 38. and Deut 22. 12. That his people throughout their generations should make them fringes vpon the borders of their garments and put vpon the fringes of the borders a ribband of blew silke that when they looked vpon them at any time they might remember all the commandements of the Lord and doe them He did inioyne likewise to bind the wordes of his Law for a memoriall vpon their hands and as fronâ—…lets betweene their eyes And these scrolles of paitchâ—…ents wherein the commandements were written are termed by the Hebrew Doctor Tephillim prayermonuments and by Christ Mat. 23. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Interpreters coniecture quasi conseruatoria because they kept and preserued men in awfull obedience to the law and howsoeuer the Pharisees abused these things vnto superstition and vaine-glory yet God assuredly will be well pleased if we shall vse sincerely the like monuments and figures for the like good purposes and ends especially to put vs in mind of his holy presence A third profitable meane to seeke Gods face continually is a particular examination of our selues at our vprising and downe-sitting and if wee find that wee haue walked all the day long in Gods sight to make songs of him and prayse him for his strength and grace If otherwise to be sory for this omission and hereafter to bee more studious of this good worke The last and best helpe to further this deuotion is our vnfeined loue of God for as S. Augustine sayd animus velut pondere amore fertur quocunque fertur ibi est vbi amat non vbi animat A man is where he loues not where he liues as Origene writes of Mary Magdalene visiting Christs Sepulchre ibi non erat vbi erat quià tota ibi erat vbi magister erat So beloued it is with vs al our mind is where our pleasure is and our heart is where our treasure is Matth. 6. 21. If then we loue God aboue all things our hearts will likewise reioyce in his holy Name more then in all things If wee remember the marueilous workes that hee hath done his wonders and the iudgement of his mouth what do we but seeke his strength and his face euermore The fruites rising from this holy deuotion are manifold The first is purenesse of heart which is such an excellent vertue that Solomon saith He that loueth purenesse of heart the King shall be his friend That is the King of glory the King of heauen and earth the King of kings is a louer of him Now that purenesse is attayned by this exercise as Dauid telleth vs in the 10. Psalme reporting the wayes of the wicked man to bee most impure because God is not in all his thoughts and the fathers of our law put these words into the enditement of a malefactour that in committing his foule fact he had not God before his eyes When Christ entred into my soule saith Bernard hee mooued and mollified and wounded mine hard and stony heart he did roote out and destroy throw downe build and plant he did enlighten that which was darke water that which was dry coole that which was too hot and inflame that which was too cold He did exalt valleys and depresse mountains the crooked wayes he made straight and the rough places plaine and so saith he with our Prophet Psalme 103. My soule did prayse the Lord and all that is within mee prayse his holy Name We find in Ecclesiasticall history that Paphnutius conuerted Thais and that Ephram conuerted another famous strumpet from vncleannesse onely with this argument that almighty God seeth all thinges in the darke when all doores are fast all windowes shut all curtaines close And as this exercise causeth vs to repent sin which is past so likewise to preuent sinne which is to come for if once we can contemplate God as present we shall instantly consider him as our Father and so honour him or as our Lord and so feare him and he that doeth either of these will flee sinne as a serpent as for example Ioseph assaulted by his mistrisle to lie with her answered How can I doe this great wickednesse and so sinne against God Susanna tempted by the libidiâ—…ous Elders to the like folly gaue the like answere sighing and saying I am in danger on euery side For if I doe this thing it is death vnto me and if I do it not I cannot escape your hanâ—… it is better for mee to fall into your hands and not to doe it then to sinne in the sight of the Lord A learned doctour in â—…ur time