thee deare Reader abundance of Charitie that thou maist beare much Fruit of the holy Ghost and be abundantly Happy and Content For with the same Mat. 6. 38. measure you doe mete it shall be measured to you againe saith our Sauiour OF THE SECOND Fruit of the Holy Ghost which is Ioy. THe second Fruit which the Holy Ghost produceth in the hearts of such as loue God is Ioy not such base ioyes as haue gaping hunters when they haue found their prey or sensuall Men in the Lute and Harpe and 〈◊〉 â—0 Timbrell and Psalme and Wines in their Banquets for which cause Hell hath dilated his Soule and opened his Mouth without all measure or limitation and the Strong and High and Glorious ones shall descend into it but Ioy in our Lord according to the words of the blessed Virgine Mary saying My Spirit hath reioyced Luk. 1. 46. in God my Sauiour An exultation of the Heart and Soule in the liuing God according to the words of the Prophet Dauid saying My Psal 83. 5. Heart and my Flesh hath reioyced in the liuing God who is all Pleasure Content and Good An inestimable Ioy and content of Minde and Spirit to finde our Lord there according to his Promise Now indeed you haue Io. 16. â—â— Sorrow but I will see you again and your Heart shall reioyce and your Ioy no man shall take from you Because it shall be in their inward soules with God Almightie which death will not take away but increase according to the words of our Lord saying As my Io. 15. â— Father had loued me I also haue loued you abide in my Loue If you keepe my Precepts you shall abide in my loue as I also keepe my Fathers Precepts and doe abide in his loue These things I haue spoken to you that my Ioy may be in you and your Ioy may be filled with so great Content that in this life you are neither capable nor would receiue or desire more Of this Ioy our Sauiour â—â— 17. 11. further speaking saith Holy Father keepe them in thy Name whom thou hast giuen me that they may be one as also We and these things I speake in the World that they may haue my Ioy filled in themselues Of this Ioy S. Augustine speaking saith God forbid Con. li. 10. ca. 22. my Lord that with what Ioy soeuer I should reioice I should thinke my selfe happie There is a Ioy which is not giuen to the wicked but to such as serue thee gratis whose Ioy thou thy selfe art and that same is happie Life to reioice at thee of thee and for thee this is it and other there is none Againe Con li. 10. ca. 23. Such as will not reioice of thee who only art happie Life will not be happie for happie Life is Ioy of thee who art Truth God mine illumination the health of my face â—nd my God And out of this Ioy are the abundant Prayses and Ioyes of the Prophet Dauid saying Come let vs reioyce Ps â—4 to our Lord Let vs make iubilation to God our Sauiour The habitation in thee as it Iâ— 8â— â— were of all reioycing Light is risen to the Iust and Ioy to the right of heart Be glad ye Iust 〈…〉 1â— in our Lord and confesse ye to the memorie of his sanctification Of this Ioy the Prophet A 〈…〉 〈…〉 writing saith I will 〈…〉 our Lord and will reioice 〈…〉 my IESVS Of this Ioy the Prophet 〈…〉 Isay speaking saith The ioy of 〈◊〉 Asses the pastures of flocks vntill the Spirit be poured out vpon vs from on high and the Desart shall be as Carmell and Carmell shall be reputed for a Forrest and Iudgement shall dwell in the Wildernesse and Iustice shall sit in Carmell The Ioyes and contentments of Men before they he endued with the Spirit of God are as the Prophet saith like the ioyes of wilde Asses all placed in eating drinking sleeping and following their carnall and sensuall appetites but after the Holy Ghost be poured out vpon them then they who were without Fruit and as such abandoned and forsaken and left to the ioyes of wilde Asses shall be as Carmell or Carmelites which is to say knowledge of Circumcision or a Circumcised Lamb and shall abandon and cast off all their wilde Asses pleasures to become partakers of the Promises of God to our Fathers saying Our Lord thy God will circumcise Deut. 30. 6. thy heart and the heart of thy Seede that thou maiest loue thy Lord thy God in all thy heart and in all thy soule that thou maiest liue Whereof S. Paul speaking Rom. 2. saith Circumcision of the heart in Spirit Againe Wee Phi. 3. are the Circumcision which in Spirit serue God and keepe the Commandements And Carmell the Mount from which wee take our Name and vpon which our Fathers Elias Elizeus and the sonnes of the Prophets liued in contemplation and adoration of God in Spirit and veritie shall be so dilated as a Forrest manie giuing themselues to contemplation all ouer the World And Iudgement shall dwell in contemplatiue Men and Iustice shall sit in Carmell in Carmelites or Men hauing circumcised hearts by the Spirit of God As in another place the same Prophet speaking saith Shall Isa 22. not yet within a little while and in a short time Libanus another more waste Mountaine in Palestina be turned into Carmell and Carmell reputed for a Forrest and in that day the deafe shall heare the words of the Booke and out of the Darkenesse and Mist the eies of the blinde shall see and the meeke shall adde ioyfulnesse in our Lord and the poore men shall reioice in the Holy One of Israel c. Againe of these Ioyes Ease and Rest which men endued with Charitie should attaine vnto the Prophet Isay further speaking saith When Isa 2. thou shalt poure out thy Soule to the hungrie and shalt fill the afflicted Soule thy light shall rise vp in darkenesse and thy darkenesse shall be as the Noone-day And our Lord will giue thee Rest alwaies and will fill thy Soule with brightnesse and deliuer thy bones and thou shalt be as a watered Garden and as a Fountaine of Waters whose Water shall not faile And the Desarts of the World shall be builded in thee Thou shalt raise vp the foundations of Generation and Generation and thou shalt be called the builder of the Hedges turning the Paths into Rest. If thou turne away thy foote from the Sabbath from doing thy will in my Holy day and call the Sabbath delicate and the Holy of our Lord glorious and glorifie him whilest thou doest not thine owne waies and thy will be not found to speake a word Then shalt thou bee delighted vpon the Lord and I will lift thee vp aboue the heights of the Earth and will feede thee with the Inheritance of IACOB thy Father for the Mouth of our Lord hath spoken If the
be weeping and gnashing of teeth Neither can the Passion of our Lord or merite of his Sacrifice vpon the Crosse as it sanctifieth and iustifieth be applyed by parts as that any one might be sanctified iustified by only Faith or only Hope in him also haue iniquitie for that grace which iustifieth and mortall sinne or iniquitie cannot dwell together in one and the same Soule For what participation 1. Cor. 6. 14. hath Iustice with Iniquitie or what societie is there betweene Light and Darkenesse and what agreement with Christ and Belial or what part hath the Faithfull with the Infidell Againe No Mat. 6. 24. man can serue two Masters you cannot serue God and Mammon Not onely Faith nor onely Hope nor Faith and Hope with Impietie and Vice and want of other Vertues are sufficient to Rest Content and Happinesse There shall Apoc. 21. 27. not enter into it any polluted thing nor that doth abhomination and maketh a lye without euer finding Rest or Ioy are Dogges Heretikes whom S. Peter calleth Dogges for that they hauing beene once conuerted to Christianitie are returned to Infidelitie and Sorcerers and the Vnchast and Apoc. 22. 15. Murtherers and seruers of Idols and euery one that loueth and maketh a lye according to the words of our Sauiour saying Mat. 7. 23. Depart from me you that worke iniquitie I neuer knew you and they shall goe into punishment euerlasting As in Arts Sciences euery one is made expert cunning in his Art by frequent acts so in Vertues euery one becommeth groūded in Vertue Pietie Godlinesse by frequent acts and exercises of Vertue according to the saying of the Holy Ghost Ps 17. With the holy thou shalt be holy and with the peruerse thou shalt be peruerted So it resteth here to set down acts of Hope in God Acts of Hope MOst mercifull Lord and my God I most firmely hope by meanes of thy helpe and the good workes which by thy particular grace I intend to doe at the end of my life to enioy eternall glorie Deere Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ although in euerie moment I commit manie Imperfections yet I hope by thy gracious helpe to arriue to Christian perfection Most mercifull Lord whose Mercies are aboue all his Workes if I alone had committed all the sinnes and enormious crimes vvhich haue beene committed from the beginning of the World vntill this day yet would I not despaire of thy mercie I hope most firmely O Sonne of God and my Redeemer by meanes of thy holy Sacraments to come to possesse eternall glorie All my hope deere Lord and Sauiour is in the merite of thy sacred Passion Graunt sweet Sauiour that I may vse the meanes which thou hast ordained should be vsed by all those who shall receiue benefite by it O Lord of infinite Mercie there was neuer sinner that did call vpon thee to whom thou diddest not shew mercie so I hope that thou wilt haue mercie vpon mee who calleth vpon thee with all my heart In thee onely I hope O Lord Thou art the portion of Ps 15. 5. mine inheritance thou art he that will restore mine inheritance vnto me From them that resist thy right hand keepe me as the apple of thine eye vnder the shadow Ps 16. 8. of thy wings protect me from the face of the impious that haue afflicted me Our Lord is my firmament and my refuge and my deliuerie Ps 17. 1. my God is my helper and I will hope in him Deere Lord in all my tribulations Ps 21. 6. I will hope in thee In thee our Fathers haue hoped they hoped and thou diddest deliuer them They cryed to thee and were saued they hoped in thee and were not confounded Lord of infinite power and Maiestie Although I Ps 22. 4. shall walke in the middest of the shadow of death I will not feare euill because thou art with me Our Lord is my saluation whom should I feare our Lord is the Protector of my life of whom shall I be afraid If Campes stand together against mee my heart shall not feare If Battels rise vp against mee in thee will I hope In thee O Lord haue I hoped Ps 30. 1. let me not be confounded Be vnto mee for a God a Protector and for a house of refuge that thou mayest saue mee because thou art my strength and my refuge Into thy hands I commend Ps 30. 4. my spirit thou hast redeemed me O Lord God of Truth Be delighted my Soule in Ps 36. 4. our Lord and he will giue thee the petition of thy heart Reueale thy way vnto our Lord and hope in him and he will doe it Why art thou heauie O my Ps 41. 12. Soule And why doest thou trouble me Hope in God because yet I will confesse to him the Saluation of my Countenance and my God CHAP. X. That Charitie or loue of God together with Faith and Hope is necessarie to the Content and Happinesse of Man THat it is not possible for Man to be content and happie without the loue of God is manifest by the light of Reason For if I had what things soeuer can be giuen me and yet did not loue them I should not find or receiue any true content or ioyes from them and yet those who loue things that are not good are deceiued and Time discouering Deceits they will remaine afflicted Againe those who loue such things as haue an end at their end or parting they will rest comfortlesse whereby is manifest by the light of reason that true Content and Ioyes cannot be without true Loue nor true Loue vnlesse it be placed in louing a perpetuall Good Againe this perpetuall Good must be such as I may at all times and in all places loue talke with and in some sort enioy which is God Almightie who is euery where and in all places eternall and of infinite goodnesse Neither is it lesse manifest by the light of Grace the Scriptures euery where promising Happinesse to such as loue God Almightie with all their hearts and Miserie and Wretchednesse to such as fornicate from him saying If thou wilt enter into Mat. 19. 17. life keepe the Commandements whereof the first is Thou shalt Mat. 22. 37. loue the Lord thy God from thy whole Heart and with thy whole Soule and with thy whole Minde Insomuch as the holy Ghost pronounceth them first Accursed who who doe not loue God with their whole hearts saying Cursed are they that decline from thy Commandements Ps 118. 21. Secondly the holy Ghost accounteth them Fooles without wit and vnderstanding saying Giue me vnderstanding and I will search thy Law and Psal 118. will keepe it with my whole heart Thirdly It tearmeth them vniust reserued for to endure Torments in the Poole of Fire and Brimstone for euer and euermore saying The vniust Ps 118. 85. haue told me Fables but not as thy Law Wicked people sayth
which according to God is created in Iustice and holinesse of the Truth Whereupon Saint Iohn Baptist speaking of the way or meanes how to attaine vnto Content and Happinesse sayth Who hath shewed Mat. 3. 7. you to flye from the wrath to come yeeld therefore fruit worthie of Penance Which is as if he should haue said If any one hath shewed you the way to Content and Happinesse and not by contrition and detestation of sinne the fruites of Penance hee hath deceiued you So our Lord and Sauiour in his first Sermon according to Saint Matthew taught Penance as the first meanes to Happinesse the Text saying that Mat. 4. 17. Iesus began to preach and to say Doe Penance for the Kingdome of God is at hand Heere thou mayest see how many men which are of short Capacities and weake and shallow Wits and Vnderstandings are deceiued in framing to themselues a conceit that to doe Penance is to be tormented deiected and oppressed in minde when it is nothing lesse but the greatest ease remedie and rest to a deiected and oppressed minde that can be had or found and the way and meanes to all true Content and Happinesse If thou wilt beleeue the Scriptures and Experience Contrition or sorrow for sinne doth much differ from the sorrow or lamenting of worldly men when out of selfe-loue they lament the losse of their worldly Commodities or Pleasures The fruites of this Sorrow are Sadnesse Oppression of Minde and Discontent as being inordinate and not ordained by God to be vsed as a meanes of finding Happinesse vvhereas Penance Contrition and Sorrow for Sinnes beeing meanes ordained by God to Content and Happinesse the more thou vsest them the more rest and content of heart thou shalt finde because God Almightie doth reuiue the Isa 57. 15. heart of the Contrite by the assisting of the holy Ghost Gal 5. whose fruits are Charitie Ioy of heart and Peace of minde of which wee are to speake more in his place A second meanes of attayning vnto the loue of God is often to Communicate according to the words of our Lord saying He that eateth Ioh. 6. my Flesh and drinketh my Bloud abideth in me and I in him which is the Charitie wee seeke for A third meanes is Meditation seriously to consider all the benefits thou hast receiued from his diuine Maiestie as Creation Redemption Conseruation and whatsoeuer graces thou hast or expectest and likewise to meditate often vpon his diuine Attributes as his infinite Goodnesse Beautie Maiestie and Power c. for the onely meanes to loue any thing that is very good faire pleasing and beautifull is but to looke seriously vpon it and consider it well and the loue or liking of it presently is begotten in thy heart And it being excellently good the more thou thinkest or meditatest vpon it the more the loue of it increaseth in thee So if thou wilt loue much GOD Almightie doe not omit thy Meditations A fourth meanes is alwaies to keepe the Presence of God that hauing alwayes before thine eyes an infinite Good from whom all things else borrow whatsoeuer good they haue thou canst not but little esteeme of all other goods in comparison of it and loue it with thy whole heart and all things else as they may conduct thee vnto it of which Presence wee are to speake in our third Booke A fifth meanes is to make many Acts of the loue of God As in Arts and Sciences thy continuall practise increaseth thy knowledge and skill so the making of many Acts of the loue of God increaseth in thee the loue of God And to that end heere I set downe these Acts following Acts of Charitie or Loue towards God AS the chased Hart thirsteth after the Fountaine of Water so I desire that my heart should perpetually thirst after thee deare Lord. O Lord of infinite beautie that my heart were so wounded with thy loue that out of feruour of spirit I might in silent speech perpetually breath forth When shall I come and appeare before thy face O most amiable Sonne of the liuing God take now possession of this my heart which was created for to loue thee and pierce it with a thousand wounds of pure loue that I may for euer sweetly languish after thy eternall beautie How beloued are thy Tabernacles O Lord of Hosts my soule coueteth and fainteth after the Courts of my God Decre Iesu to thee I consecrate my heart O deere King of all beautie and glory I will no other inheritance but thee O Life of my life and more beautifull then all beauties created put together inflame me with a most desired burning after thy eternall beautie O Lord of infinite mercy how great are the multitude of thy mercies that thou commandest mee to loue thee and if I doe not thou art angrie and threatenest eternall miseries when in louing thee consisteth all my ioyes and good O who will giue to me my Lord that I may die for thee that by my corporall death my soule may be ingulfed in thee her rest and chast bed-Chamber of all diuine delights Too late haue I loued thee Beautie so ancient and so new too late haue I loued thee but pardon my negligence past deere Lord and graunt that this my beginning may last and increase for euer Thou deere Lord was within mee and I was without my selfe and amongst these faire things which thou hast created I sought thee and fowly erred faire they were because thou createdst them but to me foule for that I loued them and loued them not in thee O how I lament deere Lord that my poore soule hath beene so deceiued with sensuall loue and worldly vanitie now conuert mee so wholly vnto thee deere Lord that nothing created may please me but the only louing of thy diuine Maiestie Thou art all faire my Loue thou art all faire and there is not a spot or staine in thee O my infinite Good I resigne to thee all that thy liberalitie hath bestowed vpon me that thereby I may please thee and offer without ceasing in the Altar of my heart my selfe in Sacrifice If I forget to loue thee my Lord let all my pleasures be turned into sorrowes and let my right hand be forgetfull of her actions if I doe not offer vnto thee vpon the Altar of my heart a Sacrifice of perpetuall Loue Morning Mid-day and Euening CHAP. XII That true Content and Happinesse cannot be without Charitie or loue towards our neighbours and keeping of the Commandements of God SO great is the Obligation and bond of Societie interposed betweene all things created that the good of one in some sort dependeth vpon the loue and societie with the other The Angels in Heauen reioice one at anothers good and Happinesse and receiue increase of Content by the increase of Glory bestowed vpon any one The Heauens send downe showers and dew to water and make pleasant the Earth and the Earth shooteth vp all her fruits
and it shall come to him and he would not Blessing and it shall be farre from him in all eternitie he shall neuer heare any Their Noses shall be tormented with stinke For sweet sauour sayth the Isa 3. 24. Prophet Isay there shall be stinke The cursed Carkas of one damned man in Hell for want of charitie shall stinke worse then all the carrion vpon the Earth so imagine if thou canst what a pestiferous stinke all the carkasses of the damned together shall make Their Taste shall be tormented with raging hunger and thirst and yet they shall neuer taste so much as one drop of Water to coole their Luc. 16. Tongues Their Touch and whole bodie shal be scorched with fire gnawne vpon by wormes Their Phantasie shall Isa 14. be frighted with vgly formes Their Memorie shal be afflicted with a perpetuall memorie and a continuall thinking vpon their miseries and torments alwaies so present as that they cannot possibly forget them for that they are eternally the same Their Vnderstandings shall be vexed with frensie folly and ignorance according to the saying of the Prophet Our Lord Ps 2. from Heauen shall laugh them to scorne Their Wills shall bee tormented with the losse of eternall weale and the possessing of eternall woe And thus confirmed in this rufull estate without hope of euer finding any alteration comfort or change The smoake of Apo. 14. their torments shall ascend vp for euer and euer And this is sufficient for to shew vnto thee deare Reader the miserable estate of these who liue and die in the breach of the Commandements of God that if the loue of thy owne good and content doe not moue thee to keepe them yet the feare of miserie and torments may winne thee to obserue them that thou maiest by one meanes or other attaine vnto the Ease Rest Repose Content and Happinesse which I heartely wish vnto thee CHAP. XV. That the Happie Elect and Iust and all those who shall be saued shall keepe the Law loue God with their whole hearts and their Neighbours as themselues FIrst it is an horror to Nature that any man should be truely Happy or Content who keepeth not the whole Law or Commandements of God as that a Fornicator Adulterer Drunkard Man-killer Vsurer Extortioner Periured person or Hater of God should be receiued into Heauen or liue with any Content vpō earth for because we see that such as are guiltie of these crimes and publikely professe in print that they cannot loue God with all their hearts or liue chast according to the Law are not content to be stiled or called haters of God Adulterers or Fornicators because of the repugnance which Nature hath against the guilt of sinne and breach of the Commandements of God which repugnance forceth them to esteeme the very stile of being so called as an infamous thing and badge of vnhappinesse If the guilt of such sinnes were not a horror to Nature there would be no repugnance in such as professe they cannot loue God or liue chast to be stiled haters of God fornicators and adulterers But they would like well of those names more then of others as most agreeable to their Natures and correspondent to their Faith and Religion And if the onely styling of men with these names of fornicators and haters of God which is but an extrinsecall denomination bee so disgustfull that no man though guiltie of the crime for the good opinion fame and estimation he desireth to haue before men will be content to take them for his name and be generally counted a fornicator or hater of God how much more will the vgly guilt and crime of sinne it selfe be disgustfull before men Angels and God Almightie Whereby it is manifest to reason that no man liuing with the guilt or staine of the breach of any one Commandement in his soule can euer bee Content or Happy in this life or in the other but that the Happy Iust and Elect shall keepe the Commandements of God loue him with all their hearts and their Neighbours as themselues And with this reason agreeth the consent of both the Old and New Testament saying Our Lord Deut. 31. 6. thy God will Circumcise thy heart and the heart of thy Seede that thou mayest loue our Lord thy God in all thy heart and in all thy soule that thou mayest liue Againe Ezek. 11. 19. And I will giue them one heart and will giue a new spirit in their bowels and I will take away the stonie heart out of their flesh and giue them a fleshy heart that they may walke in my Precepts and keepe my Iudgements and doe them and they may bee my People and I may bee their God Againe This Ier. 31. 33. shall bee the Couenant that I will make with the house of Israel After these daies saith our Lord I will giue my Law in their Bowels and in their hearts I will write it And I will be Heb. 8. 10. their God and they shall bee my People And Saint Heb. 10. 15. Paul making mention of this Prophesie affirmeth that the foresaid words of Ieremy are to be verified vpon Christians saying Our Lord hath obtained a better Mysterie then Moyses by so much as he is Mediator of a better Testament which is established in better promises For if the former had beene void of fault there should not certainely a place of a second beene sought for blaming them he saith Behold the daies shall come saith our Lord and I will consummate vpon the house of Israel and vpon the house of Iuda a new Testament For this is the Testament which I will dispose to the house of Israel after these daies saith our Lord giuing my Lawes in their minde and in their heart will I subscribe them and I will be their God and they shall be my people Whereupon the Prophet Dauid saith The mouth of the Ps 36. 30. iust shall meditate wisedome and his tongue shall speake iudgement The law of God is in his heart and his steps shall not be supplanted Againe The Iustice Ps 102. 17. of our Lord is vpon the Childrens Children to them that keep his Testament and are mindfull of his Commandements to doe them The Prophet Isay speaking of the estate of our Catholike Church to come saith All thy Children taught of our Isa 54. 13. Lord and a multitude of peace to thy Children and in Iustice thou shalt be founded in keeping the law which is iust iustified Ps 18. in it selfe Whereupon our Lord saith That he came not to breake the Law but to Deut. 30. 6. fulfill it and giue grace vnto euery one to loue God with all their hearts and their Neighbours as themselues without the which no man can be saued as witnesseth our Sauiour saying If thou wilt enter into life keepe the Commandements Againe He that doth the will of my Father Luc. 7. 21. which is in Heauen
vpon one sinner that doth Penance And againe Luc. 15. 10. I say to you that there shall be ioy before the Angels of God vpon one sinner that doth Penance Neither at this must thou maruell since a soule that loueth God becommeth by his grace so beautifull as that God Almightie taketh her for his Spouse and liueth with her in chaste delights as in his bed-chamber house and home whereof we are to speake in the next Chapters Beautie corporall is a proportion of the members with a certaine sweetnesse of the mixture of colours Beautie spirituall is a portion of vertues with a certaine sweetnesse of diuine splendor which is of such excellencie that it cannot be expressed vnto thee but by changing literall sense of wordes into spirituall so abstract from thy senses that thou mayest in some part vnderstand what the Scriptures say of the Beautie of a soule louing our Lord and keeping his Commaundements vnder these tearmes How beautifull Cant. 4. art thou my Loue how beautifull art thou Thy eyes as it were of Doues besides that which lyeth hid within thee Thy haires as the flockes of Goates which haue commed vp from Mount Galaad Thy teeth as flocks of them that are shorne which haue commed vp from washing all with twinnes and there is not a barren amongst them Thy lippes as a Scarlet Lace and thy Speech sweet as a piece of Pomegranats so are also thy cheekes besides that which lyeth hid within Thy necke is as the Tower of Dauid which is built with Bulwarkes and thousand Targuets hanging on it all the Armour of the valiants Thy low breasts are low Faunes the twinne of a Roe which feedeth among the Lillies Thou art all faire O my Loue and there is not a spot in thee So the Scriptures in expressing the beautie of a Soule endued with Charitie and louing God Almightie with all her heart Whereupon S. Augustine sayth How shall Aug. in epist Ioan. tract 9. we become faire or beautifull but by louing him who alwayes is beautifull As much as the loue of him doth encrease in thee so much doth thy beautie encrease because Charitie is the beautie of the soule And how great happinesse it is to haue this beautie of soule or cleanenesse of heart our Lord himselfe in few words setteth it downe saying Blessed are the cleane of heart for they shall see God For Mat 5. this cause God Almightie was incarnate and suffered death that hee might dissolue sinne and present vs to God immaculate and pure that we might see him and enioy him in seeing and enioying of whom is consummated all our happinesse For this saith S. Iohn 1. Ioh. 3. 8. appeared the sonne of God that hee might dissolue the workes of the Deuill and present vs to God pure and immaculate according to the words of S. Paul saying Whereas you were Col. 1. 21. sometime alienated and enemies in sense in euill works yet now he hath reconciled you in the body of his flesh by death to present you holy and immaculate and blamelesse before him And againe Eph. 1. 3. Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath blessed vs in all spirituall blessings in heauenly things in Christ as he chose vs in him before the constitution of the world that we should be holy and immaculate in his sight in Charitie And yet adding sayth Christ loued the Church and Eph. â— 15. deliuered himselfe for it that he might sanctifie it cleansing it by the Lauer of Water in the Word that hee might present to himselfe a glorious Church not hauing spot or wrinckle or any such thing but that it may be holy and vnspotted So if it be a Content vnto thee to haue and possesse Beautie corporall or cleane Linnen soft Apparrell stately Pallaces rich Gardens which are nothing but a proportion of earthly thinges mixt with varietie of workes or colours how farre greater a Content and Happinesse would it be to thee to haue a pure Heart and Soule a good Conscience and Faith not fained Which the loue of God and keeping his Commaundements would bring thee vnto as affirmeth S. Paul saying The end of the Precept is 1. Tim. 1. 5. Charitie of a pure Heart and a good Conscience and a Faith not fained from the which things certaine straying are turned into vanitie of words desirous to be Doctors of the Law not vnderstanding neither what things they speake nor of what they affirme As wee see by experience in the Solifidians of this Age. And this for the first spirituall Content and Happinesse of such as keepe the Commaundements CHAP. XIX Of the second spirituall Content and Happinesse which such enioy as loue God Almightie with all their hearts and their Neighbours as themselues which is to be beloued of God Almightie WE see by experience that to loue and not to enioy or not to be beloued againe is painefull so hauing put all our Content and Happinesse in louing his Diuine Maiestie with all our hearts and all other things for him if we should not be beloued of his Diuine Maiestie nor enioy him we could not be content or happie So supposing that thou firmely beleeuest that God Almightie is faithfull in all his Promises and cannot lye or deceiue but will performe whatsoeuer hee hath promised if there bee no impediment on thy behalfe it is necessarie to shew vnto thee how hee hath promised to loue such as loue him with all their hearts and to make them his Children Sonnes and Coheires with our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ and endue them with his Spirit the holy Ghost his gifts and fruits and maintaine his Oath and Couenant with them which hee spoke to Abraham and his Seed for euer And first for the Promises to loue them that loue him and keepe his Precepts he saith He that hath my Commandements Io. 14. 21. and keepeth them hee it is that loueth me and hee that loueth me shall be beloued of my Father and I will loue him Againe If any man Io. 14. 23. loue me he will keepe my Word and my Father will loue him Againe If you keepe my Precepts Io. 1â— 10. you shall abide in my loue as I also haue kept my Fathers Precepts and doe abide in his loue Againe Io. 16. 27. The Father himselfe loueth you because you haue loued mee Againe Hee that keepeth 1. Io. 2. 5. his Word in him in verie deed the Charitie of God is perfited Whereby wee see that God Almightie cannot but loue those who loue him with all their hearts and heereupon ariseth all these amorous tearmes of chast loue betwixt God Almightie and a soule that loueth him so often spoken of in the Scriptures and repeated in the workes and writings of the Fathers as Spouse and Espouse Kisse me with the kisse of his mouth my loue my beloued my beautifull one How beautifull art thou my loue my sister Spouse most beautifull
amongst women And infinite other the like amorous tearmes and kind speeches expressing the passages of chast loue spirituall pleasures and delights exercised betweene God Almightie and a Soule his fauorite Whereupon S. Augustine in his Booke of Confession calleth God Almightie His sweet happinesse the God of his heart God the light of his heart the inward bread of the mouth of his soule and the vertue marrying his minde and the bosome of the thoughts of his minde c. Insomuch as all the kindnesses in nature and exchanges of lawfull naturall affections vsed amongst creatures are but shadowes infinitely a farre off imitating the kinde passages and spirituall affections betweene God Almightie and a Soule his loue and fauorite which are so great that neither eye 1. Cor. 3. 9. hath seene nor eare hath heard neither hath it ascended into the heart of sensuall man what thinges God hath prepared for them that loue him So thou must not maruell though the friendship and passages of amitie which I write of betweene God Almightie and a Soule that loueth him with all her heart seeme strange and almost incredible since such he saith they are and ought to be as exceede the capacitie of men These are the workes of God and they are maruelous in our eyes He that hath my Commandements Io. 14. 21. and keepeth them hee it is that loueth me and hee that loueth me shall be beloued of my Father and I will loue him And of this ariseth the filling increase or extention of Loues motions whereof the first is Feruor which is an increase of desire to our Lord beloued whereof the Prophet Dauid speaking saith My heart waxed hot within me and in Ps 38. 4. my Meditation a fire shall burne The second is Languor or languishing in loue which is an extension of feruor to our Lord beloued but not yet in spirit inioyed and so remayning betweene extension of desire and not inioying little esteeming of any thing else sweetly languisheth after our Lord beloued whereof the Spouse in the Canticles speaking saith Stay me vp with Flowers Cant. 2. compasse mee about with Apples because I languish with loue The third Extasis which is a passing of the soule out of her selfe that shee may bee in our Lord beloued Whereof the Prophet Ieremie speaking saith He shall Ierem. Lam. 3. 28. sit solitarie and hold his peace because he hath lifted himselfe aboue himselfe The fourth is Liquefaction which is a certaine dilatation or ratifying of the heart for the better receiuing and inioying of our Lord beloued Whereof the Spouse speaking saith My soule melted Cant. 5. 6. as he spake The fift Vnion which is as it were a certaine being together with our Lord beloued whereof the Spouse speaking said My beloued to me Cant. 6. 2. and ◠to him The sixt Mutuall inhesion which is a cleauing to our Lord beloued whereof the Prophet speaking saith It is Ps 72. 28. good for me to cleaue to God The seuenth Penetration which is an entring of our Lord into the bottome of the soule and vnion with all the powers which cannot bee better explicated then by the words of S. Paul This is Eph. 5. 32. a great Sacrament but I speake in Christ and the Church The same vnion that is betweene Christ Iesus and the whole Church the same is with one soule his beloued the Church as it is vnited with Christ our Head by Charitie cōsisting of the iust onely with whom he is so vnited that they are but one spirit as man and wife are two in one flesh so Hee 1. Cor. 6. 16. that cleaueth to our Lord is one spirit with him saith S. Paul Thou must not thinke that God Almightie in these delights with the sons of men is altered or changed who is one and the same for euer but that we are changed by his grace and fauour and so we speake of these things according to the changes which his grace doth make in our soules and explicate them the best we can by these actions of sensuall loue which are through the miserie of mankind better knowne and so though our words sound carnall yet if thou wilt vnderstand our meaning thou must abstract from the senses and vnderstand them vnder spirituall conceptions Wee speaking of the loue betweene a soule louing our Lord with all her force and our Lord rendring by his grace and fauour mutuall exchange of spirituall loue whereof the bodie for the vnion it hath with the soule hath his part at least in the two first Feruor and Languor though little in the latter which happen as S. Paul saith in bodie 2. Cor. 12. or out of bodie I know not The auersion of his intention was such from the senses of this life in his Extasis that he saith he knew not whether it was in bodie or out of bodie Aug. epist 112. That is saith S. Augustine whether as it happeneth in vehement extasies his mind was alienated from this life into the other the bond betweene it and the bodie still remaining or there was a ful dissolution of his soule from his bodie as happeneth in complete death he knew not And thou must not maruell at it for first the attention is so great and the obiects so exceeding all things that this World can afford that the admiration drowneth all other thoughts Secondly he neither can nor may see or know more in vehement extasies and rapts then it pleaseth God Almightie to shew him The chiefest effect of all or any one of these Loues motions is Zeale of the honour and glorie of God and the keeping of his Commandements and an holy impatience detestation and horror of sinne as well in himselfe as in others as is admirably to be seene in our Father Elias the Prophet 3. Reg. 19. Dauid Saint Paul and all the Apostles and Saints as to our Father our Lord said What doest thou here Elias But he answered With zeale haue I beene zealous for our Lord the God of Hostes because the children of Israel haue forsaken thy Couenant thy Altars they haue destroyed and thy Prophets they haue slaine with the Sword c. And not to see these wickednesses and miseries desired to die saying It sufficeth me Lord take my soule for I am not better then my Fathers And the Prophet Dauid Who had 3. Reg. 15. 5. done right in the sight of our Lord and had not declined from all things which he commaunded him except the matter of Vrias the Hethite had such a detestation of his sinne that hee sayth My sinne is before mee alwayes Ps 50. 5. to detest bewaile and lament it and expressing his further sorrow and griefe for the said sinne sayth For the voice of my Ps 101. 6. groaning my bone hath cleaued to my flesh I am become as a Pellican of the Wildernesse I am become as a night-Crow in the house I haue watched and am become as
Flesh are dead to Grace in this life and to Glory in the other But such as liue according to the wisedome of the Spirit in Continencie and Chastitie by mortifying their inordinate appetites shall liue with the life of Grace in this life of Glory in the other and in Temporall peace of minde in this life and Eternall in the other Because the Wisedome of the Rom. 8. 13. Flesh is an enemie to God for to the Law of God it is not subiect neither can it be for if you liue according to the Flesh you shall die but if by the Spirit you mortifie the deedes of the Flesh you shall liue For whosoeuer are led by the Spirit of God and mortifie the deeds of the Flesh they are the sonnes of God But if any man haue not the Spirit of Christ the Spirit of Continencie and Mortification the same is not his but the Deuils Whereupon Saint Paul yet further saith I say walke Gal. 5. 16. in the Spirit that is in doing acts of Mortification and Continencie and the lust of the Flesh you shall not accomplish for the Flesh lusteth Gal. 5. 17. against the Spirit so these are enemies one to another and combate for the victorie If the inordinate lust and desires of the Flesh preuaile so farre with thee as that they bring thy Will Reason and Soule to consent to their desires then the inordinate lust and concupisences of the Flesh are Lords and Masters and thy Will Reason and Soule become slaues to their owne vassals and thou becommest a beast and a beastly man to runne after thy fleshly Lusts and Concupisences like the wilde Asses and beasts of the Forrest and that is thy life and felicitie If thy Soule or vpper part make continent and mortifie thy Lusts and Carnall desires and inordinate appetites of thy flesh then thy Soule or vpper part is Lord and Master and thou liuest like a man or reasonable creature and not like a beast and commest by perseuerance in Continencie and Mortification to enioy these delicate Fruits of the Holy Ghost which heere we treate of And for this cause the Life of Man is Iob. 7. called a Warfare For the Flesh Gal. â— â—7 lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the Flesh for these are aduersaries one to another that not what things soeuer you will those you doe without combate But combating the lust of the Flesh with Continencie and Mortification which are the fruits of the Spirit you come to enioy inestimable libertie of doing alwaies by combate what you will and will nothing but that which is reasonable according as it is written Where the Spirit of our 2 Cor. 3. 17. Lord is there is Libertie Againe Brethren you are called Gal. 5. 13. into Libertie And S. Paul setting down wherein this libertie consisteth saith Make Gal. 5. â—3 not this Libertie an occasion to the Flesh but by Charity serue one another For the Law is fulfilled in one word Thou shalt loue thy Neighbour as thy self This is the Libertie vnto which we are called a Libertie of doing good alwaies and when we will by being conquerers ouer the inordinate lust of our Flesh and wicked temptations of the World and Diuell by the assistance of the Holy Ghost his gifts and fruits in vs. Who shall deliuer me saith Rom. 7. S. Paul from the bodie of this death the Grace of God by Iesus Christ our Lord. Again The Grace of God our Sauiour 1. Tiâ— 2. 1â— hath appeared to all men instructing vs that denying impietie and worldly desires we liue soberly and iustly and godly in this World expecting the blessed hope and comming of the glory of the great God and our Sauiour Iesus Christ Whereby thou seest deare Reader the excellencie of Continencie since that by instructing thee how to deny impietie and worldly desires it will bring thee to liue soberly and iustly and godly in this world euen as one that continually expecteth the comming of the great God to Iudgement which is the greatest Happinesse we can attaine vnto in this life according to the words of our Lord saying Blessed is Luk. 12. 43. the Seruant who when the Lord commeth he shall finde so doing verily I say vnto you that ouer all things which he possesseth he shall appoint him OF THE TVVELFTH fruit of the Holy Ghost which is Chastitie THe twelfth fruit which the Holy Ghost doth produce in the Hearts of those who loue him is Chastitie which is an abrenuntiation of carnall pleasures and sensuall delights not absolute necessary to Nature wherby they attaine to perfect libertie of Spirit and freedome of Minde and easily and without impediment attend vnto the Exercises of the Heauenly Ierusalem according to the words of S. Paul saying He that is 1. Cor. 7. 23. without a Wife is carefull for the things that pertaine to our Lord how he may please God But he that is with a Wife is carefull for the things that pertaine to the World how he may please his Wife and he is diuided amongst many Masters that he cannot easily serue and loue God with his whole heart according to the Commandement So likewise S. Paul saith The Woman vnmarried and the 1. Cor. 7. 34. Virgine thinketh on the things that pertaine to our Lord that shee may be holy both in Bodie and Spirit But she that is married thinketh on the things that pertaine to the World how she may please her Husband And this I speake to your profit not to cast a snare vpon you but to that which is honest and that may giue you power without impediment to attend vpon our Lord. If thou wouldest obserue it thou shalt finde that the thing which hindreth thee from meditating and practising spirituall courses pious exercises of life is thy vnchast minde which seeking after the fornications of the World and Flesh perpetually distracteth thee froÌ„ well doing or thinking by hir vntame thoughts and wandring discourses after the sensual pleasures vanities of the Earth which if by Chastitie of minde thou couldest cut off thou shouldest as S. Paul affirmeth not onely meditate vpon the things that pertaine to our Lord and be holy both in Bodie and Spirit but also without impediment attend vpon our Lord and liue an Angelicall life vpon Earth according to the words of our Sauiour saying They Luk. â—0 35. that shall be counted worthy of the Resurrection from the dead neither Marry nor take Wiues neither can they dye any more for they are equall to Angels Whereby thou seest the excellencie of chaste Life that it will free thee from Worldly cares and distractions and will indue thee with such a facilitie in seruing God as that thou shalt be able as S. Paul saith to 1. Cor. 7. attend vpon our Lord without impediment And this is sufficient in part to shew vnto thee the Ioy Ease Rest Repose Content and Happinesse which God Almightie
in this life bestoweth vpon those who keepe his Commandements and loue him with all their Hearts and their Neighbors for his sake as themselues which Ioyes and Contentments doe increase in them as the zeale of keeping his Commandements Counsels doth increase according to his Word saying Whosoeuer shall glorifie me I will glorifie him and they that shall contemne mee shall be base Whereupon the Prophet Dauid saith I am delighted Ps 118. in the way of thy Testimonies as in all riches I will be exercised in thy Commandements and I will consider thy waies I will keepe thy Law alwaies for euer and for euer and euer And I walked in largenesse because I sought after thy Commandements My portion O Lord I said to keepe thy Law The Law of thy Mouth is good vnto me aboue thousands of Gold and Siluer How haue I loued thy Law O Lord all the day it is my meditation aboue mine enemies thou hast made me wise by thy Commandentents because it is to me for euer and euer Aboue all that taught me haue I vnderstood because thy Testimonies are my meditations I haue vnderstood more then ancient men because I sought thy Commandements I haue inclined my Heart to doe thy Iustifications for euer because of the Reward Corporall and Spirituall Temporall and Eternall Ease Rest Repose Content and Happinesse Wherfore deare Reader be no more deceiued with vain imaginations of finding Ease and Rest in the sensuall pleasures and vanities of the World but cast out froÌ„ thee those strange Gods who in their eleuenth Article of the English Creede do promise Happinesse and Iustification by Faith only And return vnto our Lord in all thy Heart and in all thy Soule and keepe his Commandements and our Sauiour according to his promise will aske the Ioh. 14. 14. Father he wil giue thee another Comforter that he may abide with thee and be in thee for euer The Spirit of Truth Ioh. 14. 26. he shall teach thee all things He will teach thee Chastitie Continencie Modestie Goodnesse Benignitie Patience Peace of Minde Ioy of Heart and Charitie towards God and Man and thou shalt possesse Ioy and Isa 51. Isa 44. Gladnesse Sorrow and Mourning shall flye away for I euen I my selfe saith our Lord will comfort you I will poure out my Spirit vpon thy Seede and my Blessing vpon thy Stock and they shall spring the hearbes as Willowes besides the running Waters For the Shrub Isa â—5 shall come vp the Firre tree and for the Nettle shall grow the Mirtle tree For thy base afflicting sensuall delights he will giue thee true Ioyes and Content and Rest When thou shalt poure Isa 58. out thy Soule to the hungrie and shalt fill the afflicted Soule thy light shall rise vp in darkenesse and thy darkenesse shall be as the Noone-day And our Lord will giue thee Rest alwaies and will fill thy Soule with brightnesse and deliuer thy bones and thou shalt be as a watered Garden and as a Fountaine of Waters whose water shall not faile which is the Content and Happinesse I wish vnto thee THE Last CHAPTER Of the compleat Ioy Rest Content and Happinesse which those shall haue in Heauen who vpon Earth perseuered in louing God with all their Hearts and their Neighbours as themselues vntill Death FIrst All the Charitable shall be saued and Happy as witnesseth our Sauiour saying Come ye blessed Mat. 25. of my Father possesse you the Kingdome prepared for you from the Foundation of the World For I was an hungred and you gaue me to eate I was thirstie and you gaue me to drinke I was a stranger and you tooke me in naked and you couered me sick and you visited me I was in Prison and you came vnto me Verily I say vnto you as long as you did it to one of these my least brethren you did it to me And for their particular Happinesse first all their Corporall defects as lamenesse crookednesse disproportion of their bodies c. by the power of God shall be supplied as witnesseth S. Paul saying We shall Eph. 4. 13. meete all in the vnitie of Faith and knowledge of the Sonne of God into a perfect Man into the measure of the age of the fulnesse of Christ. Secondly they shall be endued with subtilitie to penetrate and passe through materiall bodies at their pleasures as S. Iohn affirmeth Ioh. â—0 19. of our Sauiour That the dore shut Iesus came and stood in the midst of the Disciples And in the Resurrection our Sauiour will as S. Paul saith Reforme the body Phil. 3. 11. of our humilitie configured to the Body of his glory Thirdly they shall be endued with Agilitie to moue and passe from one place vnto another with the same swiftnesse that their mindes can desire As the Angels of God in Heauen Fourthly they shal be indued with Impassabilitie insomuch as they shall neuer suffer any more hunger or colde or heate or sicknesse or paines or any thing of disgust as affirmeth S. Iohn saying They shall no more Apoc. 7. 16. hunger nor thirst neither shall the Sunne fall vpon them nor any heate Fiftly they shall be endued with Claritie according to the words of our Sauiour saying The Iust shall shine Mat. 13. 43. as the Sunne in the Kingdome of their Father Sixtly their Corporall eyes shall be delighted with the sight of the glorious Body of the Sonne of God and of all the Saints and with the Beautie of Heauen whose Wall is as S. Iohn saith Of Apoc. 21. 18. Iasper stone but the Citie it selfe is of pure Gold like to pure Glasse and the Foundations of the Wall of the Citie are adorned with Pretious Stone And the twelue Gates there are twelue Pearles one to euery one and euery Gate is of one seuerall Pearle and the Streete of the Citie pure Gold as it were transparent Glasse Seuenthly their Eares shall be delighted with the melody of Angels Saints who sing by Quires alwaies new songs Eightly their Senses of Smelling shall be delighted with delicate sweet smells which proceed from the body of our Sauiour and from the bodies of the Martyrs and Saints in Heauen whose Odor is as the Cant. 3. Osc 1â— Aromatical Spices of Mirrhe and Frankencense and all the powder of the Apothecarie If the bodie of our Blessed Mother Teresa the reformer of our Order and the restorer thereof to the obseruance of the first Rule yeeld so sweet a Smell heere vpon Earth as that it exceedeth the delight of all flowers as is testified by sufficient witnesses Imagin if thou canst how exceeding sweet shall be the Smell of the body of our Sauiour and all the glorified bodies in Heauen Ninthly their Taste shall be delighted with exquisite Meates according to the word of God saying To them Apoc. â— 17. that shall ouercome sin I will Apoc. 2. 7. giue him the hidden Manna I will giue him
to eate of the tree Apoc. 7. â—7 of life which is in the Paradise of my God And the Lamb shall conduct them to the liuing Fountaines of Waters Tenthly their Touch and whole Bodie shal be delighted with delitious Rayment And I saw saith S. Iohn a Apoc 7. 9. great multitude which no man could number in the sight of the Lamb clothed in white Apoc. 19. 7. Robes for the mariage of the Lamb is come his wife hath prepared her selfe And it was giuen to her that she clothe her selfe with silke glittering and White for the Silke are the Iustifications of the Saints Those who lose their liues for the loue of God and innocencie of his Law and othes made to the Prophets shall be crowned with Crownes of glory according to the Scriptures saying Be Apoc. 2. faithfull vntill Death and I will giue thee the Crowne of Life and also they shall for euer beare Palmes of victorie and triumph ouer their Persecutors in their hands as S. Iohn witnesseth saying I saw a great multitude which no man could number standing Apoc. 7. 9. before the Throne and in the sight of the Lamb clothed in white robes Palmes in their hands c. These are they which come out of great tribulation and haue washed their robes and made them white in the bloud of the Lambe And Virgins who die in Charitie shall sing a Song which none else in Heauen shall sing but they and also they shall accompany our Sauiour wheresoeuer he shall goe according to the words of S. Iohn saying I heard a voice from Apoc. 1â— Heauen and the voice which I heard was as of Harpers harping on their Harpes and they sung as it were a new Song before the Seate of God c. and none could sing the Song but those These are they which were not defiled with Women for they are Virgins These follow the Lambe wheresoeuer he shall goe Eleuenthly the Phantasies of the Charitable shall be delighted with beautifull formes of glorious Bodies according to the words of Saint Paul Now I know 1. Cor. â—3 12. in part but then I shall know as also I am knowne Twelfthly their Memorie shall be pleased with a forgetfulnesse of all Disgustes and Discontents whatsoeuer and with an easie Remembrance of all thinges which belong vnto their Happinesse which shall be easie for that in Heauen there shall be no more Was or Shall be or this Past or To come to be troubled with searching for them in the Memorie but Present for euer and altogether an Eternall Felicitie and Life Mat. 25. euerlasting which is as Boetius sayth a perfit possession Boet. li. 5. Pro. 6. altogether of an endlesse Life The Thirteenth Their Vnderstandings shall be delighted with Diuine Wisedome Vnderstanding Counsell Knowledge c. according to the words of Saint Peter saying If you 1. Pet. 4. be reuiled in the Name of Christ you shall be blessed because the Spirit which is his shall rest vpon you which is as the Prophet Isay sayth the Spirit of Isa 11. Wisdome and Vnderstanding the Spirit of Counsell and Strength the Spirit of Knowledge and Pietie and the Spirit of the Filiall feare of our Lord. The Foureteenth their Wills shall be delighted and fully satisfied and content with the enioying hauing and possessing of God Almightie who is all the good they can desire and shall be as S. Paul saith all in all the 1. Cor. 15. 25. Saints The Fifteenth their Minds and whole Man shall be fully and compleately made happy by the seeing of God Almightie whom they haue and possesse according to the words of our Sauiour saying Blessed are the cleane Mat. 5. in heart for they shall see God August epist 111. 1â—2 not as they did in this life vnder that likenesse which his will had chosen and not his nature formed But they shall see him saith S. Iohn as he is in his Diuine Nature Essence and Glory as further witnesseth S. Paul saying We see now by a glasse 1. Cor. 23. 1â— in a darke sort but then face to face This seeing of God whom they possesse all in all is as Saint Augustine saith their chiefest good for though Aug. li. trinit ca. 13. many things do concurre together to the making of vs Happy and Content Yet this seeing of God Face to Face and as he is in his glorie is the Fountaine of all good and the accomplishment and perfection of full Happinesse which our Sauiour signifieth saying This is Life euerlasting that Ioh. 17. 3. they know thee the onely true God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ And the reason is for that God Almightie is onely He which is as he said I am which Exod. â— 14. am and all other thinges being by participation from his Goodnesse depending vpon his Will As it is written For thy Will they Apoc. 4. 11. were and haue beene created All other Pleasures and Contentments which are not God are farre more excellent in God himselfe then they are in themselues or in their owne natures So that take whatsoeuer true Pleasure which in this Life thou art capable to receiue either in Body or Soule and when by happie Vision thou commest to enioy God as I desire thou shouldest thou shalt enioy that same in another degree much more perfitly according to the words of the Prophet saying I shall be filled Lord Ps 16. 15. when thy glory shall appeare And hereupon it commeth to passe that the seeing and enioying of God by blessed vision as he is in himselfe is Happinesse it selfe for that whatsoeuer may truely delight either Body or Soule is there in him found altogether alwaies most perfitly euen in such sort as that it is not possible for thee to imagine wish or desire any Ioy Content or Happinesse whatsoeuer but the same is found in God in his full perfection Whereupon our Sauiour saith If you keepe my Ioh 15. 10. precepts you shall abide in my loue as I also haue kept my Fathers precepts and do abide in his loue These things I haue spoken to you that my ioy may be in you and your ioy may be filled Againe He Ioh 14. 12. that hath my Commandements and keepeth them he it is that loueth me and he that loueth me shall be beloued of my Father and I will loue him and will manifest my selfe to him that is he will bestow vpon him all Goods Contentments and Happinesse that can be imagined or desired according to the words of God to Moses saying I will shew thee all good Exod. 3â— â—â— and shewed vnto him Himselfe The Sixteenth they shall be confirmed in this perfect Happie estate that they cannot but loue it and possesse it for euer so our Sauiour calleth it euerlasting life Mat. 25 46. and S. Peter calleth iâ— an eternall Kingdome where â— Pet. â— â—â— there are no Temporal Ioyes or Contentments which are no sooner had then passed But an Eternall Ease Rest Repose and Happinesse and all goods and pleasures alwayes and for euermore remayning without End Which I heartily wish vnto thee deare Reader and so conclude this our Second Part of Ease and Rest with the words of Moyses the Prophet and faithfull Seruant of our Lords humbly beseeching thee to consider That I haue Deut. 30. set before thee Life and Good and contrariwise Death and Euill That thou mayest loue our Lord thy God and walke in his Wayes and keepe his Commaundements and thou mayest liue in the Happinesse of Grace in this Life and Glorie in the other But if thy heart be auerted and thou wilt not heare and deceiued with Error thou adore strange Gods in Spirit and serue them eyther by puplike or priuate breaking of the Commandements of the true and lining God I fore-tell thee this day that thou shalt perish and the Wretchednesse and Miseries spoken of in the foureteenth Chapter of this Booke shall fall vpon thee And I call for witnesse Heauen and Earth that I haue proposed to thee Life and Death Blessing and Cursing choose therefore Life that thou mayest liue and mayest loue our Lord thy God and obey his voice and cleaue to him for he is thy life and the length of thy daies To whom be all honour and glory now and for euermore Amen FINIS IESVS MARIA IOSEPH Errata Page 1. line 18. for this manner â—ead his manner p. 7. l. 1. seeke wherein â— seeke out wherein p. 7. l. 16. as that they â— as they p. 32. l. 21. sinne and malice r. sinne of malice 49 in Chap. 6. the Faith of God planted r. the Faith planted 67. 19 aboue all the r. aboue â—he 77. 22. there hath beene r. there â—ere 78 8. hath so r. haue so 106. 16. Faith the Faith of r. Faith and the Charitie of 109. 14. foun r. founded 112. 16. necessitie be r. necessitie mâ—st be 123. 4. that r. true 139. 16. in thee r. â—n this 153. in the margent Mal. 3. 7. 203. 15. 8. Iohn r. S. Paul 205. 6. serue â—heir God r. serue God 205. 17. in praise â— in his praise 208. 2. he doth not r. he doth 244. 13. may be r. must be 245. 8. I answere r. I inferre 291. 21. thy low r. thy two l. 22. low Faunes r. two Faunes 333. 16. Mines r. Ruines 369. in the Margent Exo. 33. 397. 14. wast r. vast 417. 1. saith r. say 4â—9 2. liberalitie â— liberally
Ministers if when he Praieth or Preacheth and saith The Lord The God hee doe not meane the Lord the God that sent him to Preach that it is impossible to keepe the Commandements of God and he will say Yes and yet there is no such God but in there imaginations as we haue proued before Againe aske of these Ministers if they doe not adore as God the Lord the God who sent them to Preach this and the like doctrine and they will say Yes Moreouer aske of their Disciples and followers if they doe not beleeue in the God who sent these Ministers to Preach Iustificatiō by Faith only without keeping the Commandements and they will say Yes and yet if thou wilt beleeue the liuing God there is no such God but in their imaginations as we haue shewed in the former Chapters Whereby is manifest that all those who liue in the breach of the Commandements of God and do beleeue that it is not necessary or impossible to keepe them are Idolaters and haue made to themselues strange Gods Gods who will saue and make happie by Faith in them or beleefe in them onely without keeping their Commandements or louing them with all their hearts Strange Gods that are so black and vgly that it is impossible for men to loue them with all their hearts Secondly they are sonnes of the Deuill as witnesseth our Sauiour saying You are Io. 8. 44. of your Father the Diuell and the desires of your Father you will doe that is breake the Commandements as our Sauiour testifieth saying He was a man-killer from the beginning Io. 44. and he stood not in veritie And the Law of God is Ps 118. 242. veritie So our Lord saith of Iudas that hee was a Diuell Haue I not chosen you twelue Io. 6. 71. and one of you is a Diuell and he meant Iudas who by liuing in the breach of the Commandements of God became a Diuell Saint Paul saith Giue not place to the Diuell He Eph. 4. 27. that stole let him now not steale Hee that doth not loue God with all his heart doth not steale from men but doth steale from God the loue and respect which is due vnto his diuine Maiestie whereupon Saint Iohn saith He that committeth sinne is of the Diuell 1. Io. 3. 8. because the Diuell sinneth from the beginning For this appeared the Sonne of God that he might dissolue the workes of the Diuell which are the the violating of the Commandements of God Againe In this are the Children of God manifest and the Children 1. Io. 3. 10. of the Diuell Euery one that is not iust is not of God and he that loueth not his brother is not of God because he fulfilleth not the law for al the Law is fulfilled in one word Thou Gal. 5. 14. shalt loue thy neighbor as thy selfe Thirdly the Diuell dwelleth in them as in his house and home as witnesseth our Sauiour saying And when Mat. 12. an vncleane Spirit shall goe out of a man he walketh through dry places mortified men seeking rest but findeth not Then he saith I will returne into my house whence I came out and comming he findeth it vacant of good works Then goeth he and taketh with him seuen other Spirits more wicked then himselfe and they enter in and dwell there Againe of Iudas Io. 13. 26. it is said When our Sauiour had dipped Bread he gaue it to Iudas Iscariot and after the morsell then Sathan entred into him And our Sauiour cast out of Mar. 16. 9. Luk. 8. 2. Mary Magdalene seuen Deuils which dwelt in her before her Conuersion Thou must not imagine that all those who haue the Diuell dwelling in them are sensibly Lunatike and Mad neither Mary Magdalene nor Iudas were sensibly Mad but had the Diuell dwelling in them vnsensibly and secretly keeping and possessing their soules as his right Those who are sensibly Lunatike and Mad are generally of the two the least possessed by the Diuell for that such as are sensibly Lunatike may be possessed only in body to doe outward foolish corporall actions and not be possessed in soule to giue free consent of heart to what they doe whereas the other who liue in breach of the Commandements of God are possessed in spirit with a spirituall frensie giddinesse and madnesse in spirituall things to the perdition of their owne soules and many others and to the committing of greeuous sinnes by the vnion of their spirits and free consent of minde to the desires of the Diuell though it be neither sensible to themselues nor others Fourthly the Diuell is their Master in spirituall things insomuch as they must doe for the most part what he will for they being void of inherent grace and of the assistance of the holy Ghost Which will Wis 1. 4. not enter into a malitious soule nor dwell in a body subiect to sinne for what agreement 2. Cor. 6. is there with Christ and Belial and hauing none other strength or force to resist him dwelling in them more then their naturall forces he obtaineth of them for the most part what he will according to the words of our Lord You are of your Father Io. 8. 44. the Diuell and the desires of your Father you will doe What the Deuill suggesteth vnto them that they will doe being obedient vnto him as sons to their Father and so he calleth their hearts his house saying I will returne into my Mat. 12. 46. house his house and home where as a Master hee commandeth and as captiues they obey Such as resist truth saith Saint Paul are intangled in the snares of the Diuell Tim. 2. 25. of whom they are held captiue Ps 118. at his will and the Law of God is truth So by resisting the Law of God and not keeping his Commandements they become slaues captiues of the Diuell so thou must not maruel that these who affirme it to be impossible to keepe the Commandements of God or that the keeping of them is not absolutely necessary to Saluation doe Teach and Preach in effect and deeds that God Almightie is forsworne by suffering his Church to decay and become inuisible for many hundreth yeares together contrary to his Oathes and that now after 1500. yeares they are sent from Heauen to Preach the Gospell before not knowne vnto the World and such like follies as these For the Diuell as our Sauiour saith dwelling in them as in his house and home holdeth them as S. Paul saith captiues at his will that they must say what he will and obey him as his slaues and captiues 2. Pet. 2. 19. For wherewithall a man is ouercome saith S. Peter of that he is the slaue also Whereupon S. Paul saith Rom. 6. 16. Know you not to whom you exhibite your selues seruant to obey you are the seruants of him whom you obey whether it be of sinne to death or of obedience to iustice
Fiftly the Diuell not onely causeth them to doe what he will as his captiues slaues but also for the most part maketh them to thinke and beleeue what he will as witnesseth our Sauiour saying Euery one that heareth the Word Mat. 13. 19 of the Kingdome and vnderstandeth not there commeth the wicked one and snatcheth away that which was sowne in his heart To these who do not keepe the Commandements of God the Diuell becommeth so rigorous a Master that they must not onely doe what hee will but also beleeue meditate and thinke what he will so that if either they happen to reade any pious Booke or heare any Christian Speech Sermon or Exhortation the Diuell will not permit them to thinke vpon it long but dwelling in their hearts presently snatcheth it out of their memorie and fantasie and putteth in of his owne suggestions that they can neuer haue for any long space any one good thought but must be occupied continually in thinking vpon such things as it shall please the Deuill to suggest vnto them and sowe in their hearts and soules As further witnesseth our Sauiour saying He that soweth the good Seed Mat. 13. 37 is the Sonne of Man our Sauiour and the Cockle are the Children of the wicked one who doe the workes of their Father the Diuell and the Enemie that sowed them is the Diuell The Diuell according to the testimonie of our Sauiour hath such power and authoritie ouer those who doe not keepe the Commaundements of God that he soweth in their hearts for the most part what he pleaseth insomuch as they must not haue a thought long remayning there that is not of his planting and sowing And from hence ariseth their assurednesse of saluation without keeping the Commaundements of God and the feeling of the Spirit as they call it which is a sensible delight stirred vp by the Diuell in the concupiscible inferior part of their soules whereby hee puffeth them vp with such swelling pride of minde and selfe-conceit of themselues of being endued with the holy Ghost as that presently they contemne the iudgement authoritie and knowledge of all others as inferiour to their owne and of lesse certaintie then is their feeling of the spirit Insomuch as though you alledge vnto them the Oathes of God and Promises and Prophecies of both Testaments Councels Fathers and experience of former Ages nothing will preuaile against their priuate spirit it telleth them that the whole Church generall Councels ancient Fathers all others may be deceiued but they are assured they are not And thus deceiued by the Diuell they liue in this life in a kind of frenzie of spirit in spirituall things like the Diuels in Hell who being confirmed in pride and malice thinke well of themselues and basely of all others For the sixt and last Miserie of this people in this life wee put their Blindnesse which is so great that liuing in all these Miseries they cannot see them to haue compassion of themselues And who is more miserable then he that is in miserie and in danger to fall into eternall miserie and yet can haue no compassion of himselfe Man beeing a reasonable creature and Sinne and breach of the Commaundements of God being a worke done or made against reason and it being a naturall thing for one contrarie to destroy the other Hereupon it commeth to passe that those who liue in breach of the Commaundements of God become blinde in their vnderstandings and void of the true light of reason and true discourse of things passed or to come and so as blinde men without discourse or apprehension of Dangers Doe spend their dayes in sensuall pleasures and in an instant descend into Hell The God of this World saith 2. Cor. 4. 4. Saint Paul hath blinded the eyes of the Infidels that the illumination of the Gospell of the glorie of Christ who is the Image of God might not shine to them That which euerie one loueth hee easily seeth and embraceth and that which hee loueth not though it be before him he will flye from it and not see it and being impossible for these as they confesse to loue God with all their hearts it is impossible for them to see or know his Truths So our Lord said Io. 8. 17. If any man will doe the will of him that sent me loue God with all his heart he shall vnderstand of the Doctrine whether it be of God Againe If any one loue me he Io. 14. 23. will keepe my Word Againe He that saith he knoweth God 1. Io. 2. 4. and keepeth not his Commaundements is a lyar Againe Euery Io. 3. 20. one that doth euill hateth the Light hateth our Sauior who is as he saith Io. 9. 6. the Light of the World And what canst thou expect from the haters of Light but Doctrine of Darknesse and Miserie Our Sauiour speaking of their Miseries in the other life saith that receiuing his Curse they shall goe into fire Mat. 25. euerlasting which was prepared for the Diuell and his Angels that is to say they shall goe into Hell which is as the Prophet Isay saith A profound Isa 30. and spacious roome His food is fire and store of wood the breath of our Lords mouth doth kindle the same like a maine Riuer of Brimstone And there bound hands and feet they shall lye in a Bed of Moathes couered ouer with a Couerlet of Wormes or Lice and bee deliuered vp into the hands of the Diuels to poure out the wrath vengeance and rage of God Almightie vpon them as is manifest by the Scriptures saying Mat. 22. 13. Bind his hands and feete and cast him into vtter darkenesse Againe Ps 149. This glorie is to all his Saints to doe reuenge in the Nations chastisement among the Peoples to bind their Kings in Fetters and their Nobles in Iron Manicles Againe Ps 139. Thou shalt cast them downe into fire in miseries they shall not stand vp Againe Isa 14. Thy Pride is drawne downe into Hell thy Carkas is fallen the Moathe shall be strowed vnder thee and Wormes shall be thy Couering And lying thus in this wofull and lamentable estate they shall be giuen vp into the hands of Diuels to heape yet more Torments vpon them as witnesseth the holy Ghost saying Eccl. 39. There are spirits created to reuenge and in their furie they haue fortified their Torments When the finall Day shall come they shall poure forth the force and rage of him that created them Fire Haile Famine Death teeth of Beasts Scorpions and Serpents And besides these Torments their Eyes shall be tormented with vgly shapes of Diuels together with the horror of the Place wherein as Iob sayth Iob. 10. 21. no order but a perpetuall horror doth remaine Their Eares shall be tormented with horrible Schrikes Lamentations Rorings Curses and Blasphemies of Diuels and damned Soules He loued Cursing sayth Ps 108. the Prophet
that all our Counsels are to be referred the chiefest of all good God is vnto vs. God is to vs the chiefest good neither are we to remaine lower nor yet to seeke any thing beyond him The one is dangerous and the other is nothing The following of God is the desire of Happinesse and the attaining God Happinesse it selfe and we follow him by louing him and attaine to him when we are not altogether made that which he is but adorned with his vertue and sanctitie we are neere vnto him and touch him after a wonderfull and vnderstanding manner Againe For what other thing Aug. de morib Ecc. Catho should be the chiefest good of Man but that to which to cleaue vnto maketh most happie and that is onely God to whom verily we cannot cleaue vnto but by Loue and Charitie And if Vertue doth lead vs to happie life I would affirme Vertue to be nothing else but the casting of all our loue vpon God And therefore I will not doubt to define these foure Cardinall Vertues after this manner That Temperance should bee Loue giuing it selfe wholly to him that is beloued Fortitude to be Loue easily suffering or enduring all things for the thing beloued Iustice to be Loue seruing onely the beloued and therefore rightly ruling Prudence to be Loue wittily separating and discerning those thinges wherewith it is helped from those by whom it is hindered But we say that this loue is not of what thing soeuer but of God that is to say of the chiefest Good chiefest Wisedome chiefest Concord Wherefore wee may also after this manner define these foure Cardinall Vertues and say That Temperance is Loue preseruing it selfe whole and vnspotted to God Fortitude to be Loue patiently suffering all things for God Iustice to be Loue onely seruing God and for his sake well gouerning other things which are vnder his charge Prudence to be Loue well discerning these things wherewithall it is helped into God from these by which it may be hindered Againe Charitie is the most Aug. de Nat. et gra ca. 42. ibi ca. 70. true the most full and most perfect Iustice vnperfect Charitie is vnperfect Iustice encreased Charitie is encreased Iustice perfect Charitie is perfect Iustice but we vnderstand Charitie from a pure Heart and a good Conscience and a Faith not fained which then is the most perfect that it can be in this life when for the loue of it life is despised So Saint Augustine Whereupon the Councell of Trent Sess 6. ca. 7. saith Although none can be iust but to whom the mercies of the Passion of our Lord Iesus Christ are communicated that yet is done by the iustification of the wicked whiles by the merite of his most holy Passion the Charitie of God by the holy Ghost is poured into the hearts of them who are iustified and doth inhere in them Whereupon in Iustification with remission of sinnes a man doth receiue all these infused together by Iesus Christ to whom he is ingraffed by Faith Hope and Charitie For Faith vnlesse Hope be added vnto it and Charitie neither doth perfectly vnite with Christ neither doth it make a liuing Member of his Bodie And according to this are the words of S. Paul saying of Rom. 13. 10. Loue That it is the fulnesse of the Law Diuine Loue or Charitie comprehendeth in it all other Vertues fulfilleth the whole Law or Commandements of God If there be Rom. 13. any other Commandement it is comprehended in this word Thou shalt loue thy Neighbour as thy selfe The loue of thy Neighbour worketh no euill So Saint 1. Ioh. 3 10. Iohn sayth Euery one that is not iust that keepeth not the Commandements is not of God and he that loueth not his Brother because this is the Annunciation which you haue heard from the beginning That you loue one another Againe Ioh. 13. 35. In this all men shall know that you are my Disciples if you haue loue one to another Whereupon Saint Augustine sayth In 1. Ep. Ioa. tract 5. Therefore Loue onely discerneth betweene the sonnes of God and the sonnes of the Diuell All signe themselues with the signe of the Crosse of Christ all answer Amen all sing Alleluia all are Baptized all come to the Church and build the walls of Churches The sonnes of God are not discerned from the sonnes of the Diuell but by Charitie Those who haue charitie are borne of God those who haue not charitie are not borne of God Haue a great Iudgement haue a great Discretion or haue what thou wilt if this thou hast not the other doe nothing profit thee Whereupon the Prophet Dauid saith Blessed are Ps 118. 1. the immaculate in the way who walke in the Law of our Lord and loue God with all their hearts and their Neighbours for Gods sake as themselues Blessed are they that search his Ps 118. 2. testimonies that seeke after him with all their hearts for they shall be happie vpon Earth and eternally blessed in Heauen according to the words of our Sauiour saying Blessed Mat. 5. 3. Mat. 19. 29. are the poore in spirit such as haue left all things for the loue of God Blessed are the Mat. 11. 2â— meeke such as for his loue learne meekenesse of him Blessed are they that mourne for that they haue offended God and broken his Law Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after Iustice the keeping of the Law Blessed are the mercifull who feede the Hungrie giue drinke to the Thirstie cloathe the Naked c. Blessed are the cleane of heart such as haue Charitie which S. Paul defineth to be of a pure Heart a good Conscience and Faith not fained Blessed are the Peace-makers such as teach men to loue their Neighbours as themselues thereby to take away all Suites and Controuersies no man commencing a Suit against himselfe Blessed are they that suffer persecution for Iustice out of their loues to God defending his Honor the fulfilling of his Oathes and seeking inuiolably to keepe his Commandements Whereupon we conclude that in the louing of God Almightie with our whole hearts and with our whole soules and with our whole mindes and our Neighbour for Gods sake as our selues consisteth all our Ease Rest Repose Content and Happinesse So God graunt thee deare Reader abundance of Charitie towards God and man that thou mayest be abundantly happie CHAP. XVII Of the temporall Blessing and Contentments which such enioy as loue God with their whole hearts and their neighbour for Gods sake as themselues HAuing established our Doctrine of Content and Happinesse and sufficiently shewed that it consisteth in Charitie from a pure Heart and a good Conscience and a Faith not fained which comprehendeth in it all other vertues and also hauing shewed thee how thou mayest become charitable now it resteth to set downe the Blessings Repose and Happinesse which we may by Gods grace attaine vnto by the practise of this Doctrine The loue
abhorre the signe of my pride and glorie which is vpon my head in the dayes of my ostentation and detest it as the cloth of a woman in her monethly flowers and did neuer reioyce but in thee O Lord the God of Abraham According to this are the many sayings of S. Augustine For that thou O Lord to him that Conf. li. 12. 15. loueth thee as much as thou commandest doest shew thy selfe and art all that he can desire therefore he doth neither decline from thee nor to himselfe And so saith of himselfe That before his conuersion to the Catholike Religion This was all his practise Conf. li. 9. ca. 1. not to will that which God Almightie would he should and to will that which God Almightie would hee should not But after that his Free-will was called to subiect it selfe vnder the light yoake of our Lord and his stout shoulders vnder the burthen of Iesus Christ his Redeemer then hee sayth Of a sudden how sweet it was made to me to want the sweetnesse of Trifles and those thinges which before I feared to lose now I reioyced in shaking them off For thou the true and chiefest Sweetnesse diddest cast them from me thou diddest cast them out of me and diddest enter thy selfe for them who art more sweete then all pleasures Againe Late haue Conf. li. 10. c. 27. I loued thee Beautie so ancient and so new late haue I loued thee and behold thou wast within me and I was without my selfe and there I did seeke thee and amongst these faire things which thou hast made I foulely erred Thou wast present to me but I was absent from thee and these things did separate me farre from thee which if in thee they were not had not beene Thou hast called and cried and hast ouercome my deafenesse Thou hast beene bright and hast shined and hast driuen away my darkenesse Thou hast burned and I haue drawne breath and breathe out after thee I haue tasted and I hunger and thirst Thou hast touched me and I haue burned after thy Peace and Rest Hee which hath knowne Veritie hath Li. 7. ca. 10. knowne it and he who hath knowne iâ— hath knowne Eternitie Charitie hath knowne it O eternall Veritie and true Charitie and deare Eternitie Thou art my God to thee I send forth sighes day and night and when I first knew thee thou tookest me vp that I might see my selfe as I was and that I was not yet that which I would seeme to be and thou diddest beat the weakenesse of my sight excellently shining in me and I trembled with loue and feare and I haue found my selfe to haue beene farre from thee in a Countrey very vnlike thee as if I should heare thy voice from aboue saying I am the Meate of great ones grow and thou shalt eate me Againe What Li. 4. ca. 1. am I when it is well with me but one sucking thy Milke or one enioying thee the Meate which neuer corrupteth So S. Augustine God Almightie in our hearts is the Treasure hidden Maâ— 13. 44. in the Field which a man hauing found did hide and for ioy thereof went and sold all that hee had and bought that Field Finding once God Almightie farwel the world and all his sensuall pleasures Then God forbid that â— should Gal. 6. 14. glorie sauing in the Crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ by whom the World is crucified to me and I to it Then vnto me to liue is Christ and to die is gayne Phil. 1. 21. Then thou needest not wish him goe and sell all that hee Mat. 19. 21. hath giue to the poore and follow our Lord he will goe and do it of himselfe though he were King of the whole Globe of the Earth and say with the Prophet What is to Ps 72. 25. me in Heauen and besides thee what would I vpon Earth my flesh hath fainted and my heart God of my heart and God my portion for euer God Almightie manifesting of himselfe in the hearts of these who loue him is that precious Pearle Which Mat. 13. 46. the Marchant man hauing found went his way and sold all that hee had and bought it it being all Content Whereupon S. Augustine saith Whatsoeuer Aug. in Ps 26. is not God is not sweet and whatsoeuer my Lord will vouchsafe to giue me let him take it away and giue me himselfe God Almightie is all Loue and Charitie and If Cant. 8. 7. a man saith the holie Ghost shall giue all the substance of his house for Loue as nothing hee will despise it This is the Kingdome of God vpon Earth of which our Lord speaking saith The Luc. 17. 21. Kingdome of God is within you But not euerie one that saith Mat. 7. 21. Lord Lord shall enter into it but he that doth the will of God which is in it He that loueth Mat. 25. God with all his heart and his neighbor as himself he shall enter Luc. 9. 60. into the Kingdome of Heauen God Almighty manifesting of himself to the eies of the harts of these who loue him is the light of the World and men haue Io. 9. 6. loued the darknes rather then the Io. 3. 19. light for their workes were euill euen so euil that they think it impossible or not necessary to keep the CoÌ„mandemeÌ„ts of God Whereupon S. Aug. said to the Aug. li. 9. ca. 4. dead deaf heretiks of his time O that they could see the inward eternall Light which I because I had tasted I was angry at my selfe for that I could not shew it them if they should bring vnto me a heart in their owne eyes without thee should say Who will shew vs good things Of this Light the Prophet Dauid speaking saith The light Ps 4. 7. of thy countenance is signed vpoÌ„ vs thou hast giueÌ„ gladnes in my hart Again With thee is the fountain of Ps 35. 10. life in thy light we shal see light This is that one thing necessarie which S. Marie Magdelen hath chosen the best part which shal not be taken away from her the gracious presence of our Lord in her heart soule according to the words of S. Aug. saying Who wil giue to me Li. Con. â—â— my Lord that he may come into my heart and make it drunke that I may forget all my euils and embrace thee my onlie good God Almightie manifesting of himselfe in the hearts of theÌ„ who loue him is the hidden Manna which no man knoweth but hee that receiueth it spoken of in the Apocalypse saying He that hath an eare Apo. 2. 17. to heare let him heare what the Spirit saith to the Churches To him that ouercommeth sinne I will giue him the hidden Manna and will giue him a white Lot and in the Lot a new Name written which no man knoweth but he that receiueth Whereupon the Prophet Dauid sayth Taste ye and see
She that which late lay hid in cloudinesse More bright and cleare then Phoebus beames shall shine CHAP. XXIII The sixt Content and Happinesse which such enioy as loue God Almightie with all their hearts and their neighbour for God as themselues are the gifts they receiue from the holy Ghost dwelling in them and the fruits which he produceth in them THe mercies which God Almightie sheweth to such as loue him with all their hearts and their neighbours as themselues are so infinite that he doth not onlie dwell in their hearts and soules as in his house and home and manifest himselfe vnto them but also bestoweth inestimable gifts vpon them and decketh and adorneth their soules in this life with his Iewels and produceth in their hearts diuine fruits that it may be fulfilled which was spoken by Isay the Prophet saying Reioycing I will reioyce in our Isa 61. 10. Lord and my soule shal be ioyfull in my God because he hath clothed me with the garments of Saluation and with the garment of Iustice he hath compassed me as a Bridegroome decked with a Crowne and as a Bride adorned with her Iewels For as the Earth bringeth forth her Spring and as the Garden shooteth forth her Seede so shall our Lord God make Iustice to spring in the hearts of all those who loue him according to the words of our Sauiour saying If you loue me Io. 14. 15. keepe my Commandements and I will aske the Father and he will giue you another Comforter that he may abide with you for euer the spirit of Truth he shall abide in you and be in you He Io. 14. 26. shall teach you all things and suggest vnto you all things whatsoeuer I shall say vnto you according to which wordes Saint Paul saith Wee haue 1. Cor. 2. 12. receiued not the spirit of this World but the spirit which is of God Againe If anie haue Rom. 8. 17. not the spirit of Christ the same is not his Whereby we see that the spirit of Christ doth remaine in all those who loue him by whose meanes they become wise learned full of counsell strength knowledge pietie and feare of God according to the wordes of Isay the Prophet saying And Isa 11. 2. the spirit of our Lord shall rest vpon him the spirit of Wisedome and Vnderstanding the spirit of Counsell and Strength the spirit of Knowledge and Pietie and the spirit of the feare of our Lord shall replenish him So here according to good Method wee should speake of the aforesaid gifts or effects of the Spirit of Christ the holy Ghost in vs But hauing occasion to speake of them in our fourth Booke where wee must treat of the interchange of gifts betweene God and Man not to speake twice of them wee deferre them vntill then and proceede to set downe the fruits which the holy Ghost doth produce in the hearts of those who loue him and keepe his Commandements He that beleeueth in me saith Io. 7. 38. our Sauiour as the Scriptures say out of his bellie shall flowe Riuers of liuing Water and this hee said of the Spirit they should receiue which are to beleeue in him Whose fruits or liuing Water Saint Paul setteth downe saying The fruit of the Spirit is Gal. 5. 22. Charitie Ioy Peace Patience Benignitie Goodnesse Longanimitie Mildnesse Faith Modestie Continencie Chastitie These are the delicate fruites vvhich the Holie Ghost doth produce in the hearts of those vvho loue him vvith all their hearts by vvhich they are made beautifull and happie According to the vvordes of Saint Paul saying 1. Tim. 3. 4. For God not by the vvorkes of Iustice vvhich vvee did of our selues as of our selues but according to his great Mercie 2. Cor. 3 5. he hath saued vs by the Lauer of Regeneration and Renouation of the holie Ghost vvhom he hath poured vpon vs abundantly by Iesus Christ our Lord that being iustified by his grace vve may be heires according to hope of life euerlasting The holie Ghost is the Tree of which the Espouse in the Canticles speaking Can. 2. saith Vnder his shadow vvhome I desired I sate and his fruit was svveet vnto my throat Hee brought mee into the Wine-cellar hee hath ordayned in mee Charitie OF THE FIRST FRVIT OF THE Holy Ghost which is Charitie THe first fruit which the holy Ghost doth produce in the Hearts of those who loue him is Charitie or puritie of Heart goodnesse of Conscience and a Faith not fained for so S. Paul and S. Augustine define Charitie saying The end 1. Tim. 1. Aug. tract 8. in Io. of the Precept is Charitie from a pure Heart and a good Conscience and a Faith not fained Whereby they doe easily keepe the Commandements which consist in Charitie and so liue in a happie estate vpon Earth enioying all the blessings which are promised to the Charitable which in some part we haue set down in the former Chapters and more then wee are able to expresse remaine for that Charitie is the bond Col. 3. 14. of perfection and comprehendeth in it whatsoeuer is good and of perfection By it we cleaue to God by it we loue our Neighbours by it wee take away all Euils Wretchednesse and Miseries by it we attaine vnto all good Whereupon Saint Augustine Aug. in epist Ionn tract 5. Sâ—câ— 2. q 23. â—â—t 8. saith Haue Charitie and haue all things And S. Thomas affirmeth Charitie to be the forme of all other Vertues by which their acts are addressed to their last endes and the end of all Vertues and the Foundation in which they are sustained As all Vertues if they be Vertues of Grace and Fauour making vs acceptable to God are grounded in Charitie as we haue shewed in the sixteenth Chapter so all the gifts and fruits of the Holy Ghost are founded in Charitie as boughes or branches in the Root according to the words of our Lord saying Whosoeuer shall doe the Will of my Father Mat. â—â— 50. keepe his Commandements he is my Brother and Sister and Mother hee is partaker of all Ioyes Comforts Contents and Happinesse whatsoeuer For in Christ Gal. 6. 15. Iesu neither Circumcision auaileth ought nor Prepuce but a new Creature a pure Heart and whosoeuer shall follow this rule Peace vpon them â— Tim. 1. and Mercie all Ioyes and Contentments Whereupon our Sauiour saith He that abideth Io. â—5 6. in me and I in him the same beareth much Fruit And â— Io 4. 17. he that abideth in Charitie abideth in God and God in him And S. Paul saith Charitie 1. Cor. 13. 4. is patient is benigne Charitie enuieth not dealeth not peruersly is not puffed vp is not Ambitious seeketh not her owne is not prouoked to anger thinketh not euill reioyceth not vpon Iniquitie but reioyceth with the Truth Whereby is manifest that all the rest of the Fruits of the holy Ghost are founded in Charitie So God grant
Ioy of wilde Asses be so highly esteemed by the Princes and adorers of the Earth as that they put either all or the most part of their content in them how much more are to be esteemed the Ioyes of the holy Ghost which doe so farre exceede all the Ioyes of wilde Asses and carnall pleasures of the censuall Men of the Earth as the Soule doth the Body The one being common to pious Men and Angels the other proper to carnall Men and Beasts OF THE THIRD Fruit of the Holy Ghost which is Peace THe third Fruit which the holy Ghost doth produce in the hearts of them that loue him and their neighbour for him is Peace not such Peace as is giuen to the wicked who can finde no other Rest or Peace but in the following and feeding of their inordinate appetites with sensuall pleasures like the beasts of the Forrest But the Peace of God which passeth Phil. 4. 7. all vnderstanding an Ease Rest Repose of heart and minde in God Almightie which exceedeth the capacitie and vnderstanding of all sensuall men which S. Paul describeth to be an vnion of our hearts and all the vnderstanding Phil. 4. powers of our soule in Christ Iesus Peace which was promised by the Prophet Isay saying When the Spirit shall be poured Isa â—2 17. out vpon vs then the worke of Iustice shall be Peace and the seruice of Iustice Silence and Securitie for euer And my People shall sit in the beautie of Peace and in the Tabernacles of Confidence and in wealthie Rest Resting of their Hearts and all the powers of their Soule in Christ Iesus as a Stone in his Centre Peace spoken of by the Prophet Dauid saying Praise â—â— 147. â— thy God O Syon because hee hath strengthened the Locks of thy Gates he hath blessed thy Children in thee who hath set thy borders Peace and filleth thee with the fat of Corne. Againe In Peace in the self-same I will sleepe and rest Whereupon S. Augustine reading this verse after his Conuersion from Heresie cryed from the bottome of his heart O in Peace O Con. li. 9. 8. ca. 4. in the selfe-same O what did he say I will Repose and take Rest Thou O Lord art the selfe-same exceedingly who art not variable in thee is Rest forgetting of all labours for that there is no other with thee neither are there many more things to be had which thou art not But thou O Lord hast singularly setled me in hope I did reade and did burne in loue Neither did I finde what I should doe to the deafe dead Heretikes amongst whom I had beene an vnsauourie yeller forth of infectious Doctrine and blinde against the Letters honyed with the hony of Heauen and lightened with thy Light O that they could see the inward Eternall Light Which I because I had tasted I was angrie at my selfe for that I could not shew it them if they should bring vnto me a heart in their owne eies without thee and should say Who will shew vs good things So Saint Augustine The Peace spoken of by our Sauiour saying Peace I Io. 14. 27. leaue to you my peace I giue to you not as the World giueth doe I giue to you Againe In me you may haue Io. 16. 55. Peace in the World you shall haue Distresse Whereof the Prophet Isay speaking saith For this cause shall my people Isa 52. â— know my Name in that day because I my selfe that spake Peace I leaue you loe am present How beautifull vpon the Mountaines are the feele of him that euangelizeth and preacheth Peace of him that telleth good preaching Health that faith to Sion the Soule which loueth God with all his heart Thy God shall Isa 9. 5. raigne Because all violent taking of prey with tumult and garment mingled with blood shall be burnt and foode for the fire For a little Childe is borne to vs and a Sonne is giuen to vs and his name shall be called Prince of Peace His Empire shall be multiplied and there shall be multiplied and there shal be no end of his peace At this Peace the Angels reioyced to see it prepared to be planted in the Hearts of Men vpon Earth And Luk. 2. the Angels said I euangelize to you great Ioy that shall be to all People beeause this day is borne to you a Sauiour which is Christ our Lord you shall finde the Infant swadled in Clothes and layd in a Maunger And suddenly these was with the Angell a multitude of the heauenly Armie praysing God and saying Glorie in the highest to God and in Earth Peace to Men of good will For Eph. â— hee our Lord himselfe is our Peace who hath made both one and dissoluing the middle Wall of the Partition the enmities in his Flesh And comming he euangelized Peace to you that were farre off and Peace to them that were nigh for by him we haue accesse both in one Spirit to the Father This is the Peace which Saint Paul wished to the Thessalonians saying The 2. Thes 3. 16. Lord of Peace himselfe giue you euerlasting Peace in euery place And this is the Peace which our Lord often wished to his Disciples after his Resurrection saying Peace be to you This Peace saith S. Augustine In epist ad fratres in eremo Christ left by a Testament to the Apostles as the chiefest good without the which none ought to liue c. This is that glorious Peace which expelleth the fruit of euill Thoughts preserueth the wauering Minde from hurt and purgeth the Conscience He who hath not the peace of Heart of Mouth and Worke ought not to be called a Christian O Peace thou art the serenitie of the Minde the tranquilitie of the Soule the simplicitie of the Heart the bond of Loue and companion of Charitie This is that high Felicitie which taketh away Enmities appeaseth Warres oppresseth Anger 's treadeth downe the Proud loueth the Humble endeth Strifes maketh Enemies friends acceptable to all Men. So S. Augustine And if the Peace of the Earth which is but a cessation from worldly troubles or affaires and a satisfying of thy passions be pleasing vnto thee of how farre greater Content and Happinesse must the Peace of God be which passeth all vnderstanding and keepeth as S. Paul saith Our Hearts and all the Phi. 4. 7. vnderstanding powers of our Soule in Christ Iesus which God of his goodnesse grant thee Reader OF THE FOVRTH fruit of the Holy Ghost which is Patience THe fourth fruit is Patience of which it is said In Patience shall you possesse Luk. 21 19. your Soules Then a man is said to enioy a thing when he receiueth Content in it and vseth it according to the end it was created for he that possesseth a thing to vexe and afflict hath it not to enioy and possesse but to torment Whereupon it commeth to passe that angrie and chollericke men doe not possesse themselues nor