men as they haue preferred their loue before their estate and dignitie children and parentes yea their life and eternall saluation The examples which are read in holy Scripture of Dauid Salomon and Sampson are known histories are full of the like Wherefore my soule if so great beautie be giuen by God to creatures how great admirable maist thou think is the beautie of God himselfe For none can giue that which he hath not And if men delighted with the beauty of the Sun and starres though those Bright bodies saith the wise man to be Goddes Wisd 13 Let them knowe how much the Lord of them is more beautifull then they for the author of beautie made all these thinges How great the beautie of God is we may gather not onely because it comprehendeth the beautie of all creatures most eminently within it selfe but also for that it being vnto vs inuisible while we are Pilgrims on earth and onely vnderstood by faith of Scriptures and mirrour of Creatures yet notwithstanding many saints haue bin so inflamed with the loue thereof that some of them haue hid themselues in Desertes and attended onely to the contemplation therof as St. Mary Magdalen Paul the first Heremite the great Anthony and others of whom you may reade in the religious History of Theodoret. Others forsaking their wiues and Children and whatsoeuer els they possessed on earth liued in Monasteries vnder the obedience of others that they might enioy the friendship of God Others desired willingly with rigorous paines to end their liues that they might come to the sight of that infinite beautie Heare one of them to wit St. Ignatius the Martyre in his Epistle to the Romans Let fire gallowes beastes breaking of my bones quartering of my members brusing of my body and all the torments of the Deuill come vpon me so that I may enioy Christ If then this diuine beauty not yet seene but onely beleeued and hoped for could kindle such a feruent desire what will it doe when as the vaile being remooued it shall be seene as it is in it selfe It will doubtlesse bring to passe Psal 3 That being drunke with the torrent of that pleasure we neither will nor can one moment turne our eyes from it And what wonder is it although the Angels and blessed soules which alwayes see the face of their Father in heauen are not wearied or tyred with that sight since God himselfe from all eternity beholding his owne beauty is fully pleased there with and being happie by that sight desireth nothing els entring as it were into a Vineyard or Garden of all delights from whence he neuer shall nor will depart Seeke that beauty O my soule sigh after it day and night say with the Prophet My soule hath thirsted after thee the strong liuing Psal 41 when shall I come and appeare before the face of God Say with the Apostle We are bolde 2 Cor 5 and haue a good will to be Pilgrims rather from the body and to be present with our Lord. Neither doe thou feare to be defiled with the loue of that beauty For the loue thereof doth comfort not corrupt doth purifie and not polute the hart The holy virgin and martyre St. Agnes sayd truely I loue Christ whose mother is a virgin whose Father knoweth no woman whom when I loue I am chaste when I touch I am cleane when I take I remaine a virgin But if thou dost truely desire the vncreated beauty of thy Lord thou must fulfill that which the Apostle addeth in that place 2 Cor. 5 Therefore saith he we endeauour whether absent or present to please him If God please thee thou oughtest likewise to please God And surely we shall please God in the country of the liuing when as we shall be illuminated with his glory as the Prophet saith Psal 114 I will please our Lord in the country of the liuing But in this Pilgrimage we are so easily poluted and defiled with the slime of sinne that the Apostle St. Iames said Iam. 3 In many things we offend all And the Prophet Dauid to shewe how fewe are immaculate in this life affirmeth that it belongeth to Happinesse Psal 118 saying Blessed are the immaculate in the way Therefore my soule if in this absence and Pilgrimage thou wilt please thy Lord it is not enough to desire to please him but it behooueth thee as the Apostle saith to striue to please him that is with great diligence to beware of such spottes as may make thy face deformed and if any happen to sticke therein with like diligence to endeauour to wipe them away Dost thou not see how women which seeke to please their husbands spend many houres in dressing their hayre adorning their face and wiping away the spottes of their garments and all this they doe to please the eyes of a mortall man who soone after must be turned to earth and ashes what oughtest thou therefore to doe to please the eyes of thy immortall spouse who alwaies beholdeth thee and desireth to see thee without spot or wrinkle It is needefull then to striue with all thy force Luc. 1 That thou walke before him in holinesse and iâ—stice and remoue from thee with speed all things that may hinder the same not hauing respect to flesh and blood nor to the speeches and opinions of men For thou canst not please God and the world both at once according to the Apostles saying Yf I yet did please men Gal. 1 I should not be the seruant of Christ THE THIRD STEPP From the Consideration of the earth WE haue considered the Corporall world in generall Cap. 1 Let vs now consider the principall parts thereof that from them we may erect a Ladder to contemplate their maker First there is the Earth the which although it occupie the lowest place among the elements and seemeth to be lesse then the rest yet it is not lesse then the water and in dignitie and worth it excelleth the other elements Whereupon we often read in holy Scripture That God made heauen and earth as the principall parts of the world Gen. 1 For he made heauen as the Pallace of God and Angels the earth as the Pallace of men Psal 113 The heauen of heauen is to our Lord saith the Prophet but the earth he hath giuen to the children of men And that is the cause why the heauen is full of bright starres the earth aboundeth with mettalls precious stones hearbes trees and beastes of diuers kindes whereas the water is stored onely with fish and the ayre and fire are in a manner emptie and naked elements But omitting this The earth hath three thinges most worthy of consideration by which a vigilant minde may easily ascend vnto God First the earth is the most firme foundation of the whole world without which we could neither walke worke Psal 92 rest nor liue He hath established saith Dauid the round world which
shall not be mooned Psal 103 And Thou hast founded the earth vpon the stabilitie thereof it shall not be inclined for euer and euer Secondly the earth like a good Nursse to men and other liuing creatures doth daily bring forth herbs fruits grasse innumerable things of like kinde For so God speaketh Gen. 1 Behold I haue giuen you all maÌ„ner of hearb that seedeth vpon the earth all trees that hane in themselues seede of their own kinde to be your meat and to all beastes of the earth Thirdly the earth bringeth forth stones wood to build houses and mettalls of brasse and yron for diuers vses and gold and siluer wherof money is made which is the instrument whereby all thinges necessary for the life of man are easily procured And truely that first propertie of the earth to wit to be the place in which our bodies rest and not in the water ayre or fire is an embleme of our Creator in whom onely mans soule findeth a place of rest Thou hast made vs O Lord saith St. Augustine for thy selfe Cib. 1 Confes c. 1 and our hart is vnquiet vntill it rest in thee Salomon as much as euer any king sought after rest in honour wealth and pleasure He possessed a most ample peaceable kingdome so that the Scripture witnesseth He had in his dominion all the kingdomes with him 3 Reg. 4 from the riuer of the land of the Philistimes vnto the border of Aegypt of them that offered him presentes and serued him all the dayes of his life His wealth also was incomparable so that he kept forty thousand horses for Chariots twelue thousand to ryde vpon And as we read in the same booke the Nauy of Salomon brought gold and precious stones from Ophir in such plenty that siluer was nothing worth and as great was 3 Reg. 9 10. the plenty thereof in Ierusalem as stones in the streetes So many also were the pleasures which he had prouided for himselfe that they may seeme vncredible For falling into the inordinate loue of women 3 Reg. 11 he tooke seauen hundred wiues as Queenes and Concubines three hundred as weread in the same book But let vs heare himselfe speak of himselfe Eccle 2 I haue magnified my workes saith he I haue built me houses and planted vineyardes I haue made gardens and Orchardes and set them with trees of all kindes and I haue made me ponds of waters to water the wood of springing â—rees I haue possessed men seruants women seruaÌ„ts haue had a great family heardes also and great flockes of sheep aboue all thâ—t were before me in Ierusalem I haue heaped together to my selfe siluer gold and the substance of kings Prouinces I haue made me singing men singing womeâ— and the delights of the children of men Cuppes and Gobletts to serue to poure out Wines and I surpassed in riches all that were before me in Ierusalem Wisdome also hath perseuered with me and all things that mine eyes desired I haue not denied to them neither haue I stayed my hart but that it enioyed all pleasure and delighted it selfe in these thinges which I had prepared And this I esteemed my portion if I did vse my labour Thus he who doubtlesse had as great contentment as could be had in Creatures For he neither wanted kingdomes nor wealth nor pleasures nor humaine wisdome so much esteemed And lastly he enioyed peace a long time to possesse so great happinesse Let vs see now if all these things could content satisfie the desires of his minde When I had saith he turned my selfe to all the workes which my hands had don Eccle. 2 to the labours wherin I had swet in vaine I sawe all thinges vanitie and affliction of minde and nothing to be permanent vnder the Sun Salomon therefore found not contentment in all his riches delights wisdome and honours neither could he although he had enioyed much more For the soule of man is immortall and these things are mortall and cannot long remaine vnder the Sunne neither can it be that a soule which is capable of infinite good should be satisfied with finite goods Therefore as the body of man cannot rest in the ayre although it be most spatious nor in the water although it be very deepe because the earth is the place thereof and not the ayre or water so the minde of man is neuer satisfied with ayrie dignities nor watry wealth to wit with soft and deceauing pleasures nor with the false glory of humane knowledge but with God onely who is the center of soules and their onely true resting place O how truely and wisely did the father of Salomon say What is to me in heauen Psal 72 and besides thee what would I vpon earth God of my hart and God my portion for euer As if he should haue said I finde nothing in heauen or earth or in any creature therein that can giue me true contentment thou onely art the God of my hart that is thou onely art a firme rocke to my hart for the word God in the Hebrew text signifieth a rocke in that place Thou therefore art onely a most firme rocke to my hart in thee onely will I rest thou onely art my portion my inheritance and all my good other things are nothing nor of any force to suffice me one day but thou alone wilt suffice me for euer Dost thou not knowe as yet my soule that God onely is the rocke whereupon thou must rest and that in al things els is vanitie and affliction of spirit For they are not but appeare to be they comfort not but afflict because they are gotten with labour kept with care lost with sorrow Despise therefore if thou be wise all transitory thinges least they carry thee away with them and abide in that vnitie and bond of Charitie which continueth for euer Lift vp thy hart to God in heauen least it putrifie on earth and learne true wisdome from the folly of many in whose names the wise man speaketh saying Wis 5 We therefore haue erred from the way of truth and the light of iustice hath not shined to vs and the Sunne of vnderstanding rose not to vs. We are wearied in the way of iniquitie and perdition and haue walked hard waies but the way of our Lord we haue not known What hath pride profited vs Or what coÌ„modity hath the vaunting of riches brought vs All those things are passed away as a shaddow but in our naughtines we are consumed Moreouer Cap. 2 a Rocke is also in an other respect an embleme of our Lord God as the wisdome of God did expound vnto vs in his Gospell when he said Math. 7 That a house built vpon a Rocke should remaine vnmoueable although the rayne fell and the flouds came and the windes blew But a house built vpon the sand cannot stand against any of these things but at the
without ceasing but there are innumerable Angels and holy men which heare them and are delighted therewith and they also with Hymnes and songes continually prayse their maker But to proceed The length of Gods essence is his eternitie Cap. 4 which neither hath beginning of duration nor euer shall haue end but is alwayes the same without any change Psal 101 Thou art saith Dauid the selfesame and thy yeares shall not fayle Tobyas also Tob 13 1 Tim. 6 and after him the Apostle calleth God The king of worlds because he onely was before all worlds is not subiect to worldes but ruleth and gouerneth them Other thinges haue beginning and end and neuer continue in the same state Or els they haue beginning without end or change of substance yet if their maker please they may cease to be Eternitie therfore is proper to God onely Nor was there euer any Prince so prowde that among his many other Tytles durst arrogate to himselfe the tytle of eternall except perhaps in an other seÌ„ce As Constantius who was called eternal Emperour because he was not Emperour for a certaine time but for terme of life But thou my soule mayst be numbred among both kindes of Creatures For thou hast a body which began to be when it was conceaued and borne and by degrees it grewe to that stature which God appointed then it began to decrease and shortly by death it shall cease to be Therefore it neuer wholy continueth in the same state but is euery hower subiect to change Of thy body the Prophet spake this sentence resembling it to Hay In the morning as an hearbe hee shall passe Psal 89 in the morning he shall flourish and passe in the euening he shall fall be hardened and withered For in the morning to wit in Childhood Mans body flourisheth like an bearbe and soone after followeth youth In the Noone-tyde of youth it flourisheth and soone after followeth olde age in the euening of olde age it falleth by death and in the graue it is hardened withered and turned to dust Beholde therefore O my soule how farre thy bodie is from eternitie But thou wast created in time where as before thou wast nothing and therein thou â—rt farre vnlike thy eternall Creator but being created thy duration is endlesse wherein thou dost resemble thy Creator And because whiles thou art in the body thou changest often from vice to vertue and from vertue to vice And according to the state in which thou shalt be found at thy departure from the body thou shalt be iudged either to raigne for euer with God or for euer to be tormented with the Deuill therefore thou oughtest to haue a very great care to eschew vice and to follow vertue Take heede then least thou be seduced by the allurements of thy flesh to the euerlasting perdition both of thy selfe and it Gal 5 but rather Crucifie it with the vices and concupiscences thereof that thou mayst hereafter liue eternally and thy flesh may rise in glory and in glory remaine with thee for all eternitie But although the Angells and soules of Saintes are to be partakers of eternitie in that high and happy Vnion with God by his beatifying vision and loue which vnion shall continue for euer without change yet may they alter change their thoughts affections and places after diuers manners therefore they shall alwaies reuereÌ„tly admire Gods eternitie aboue them in whom can be no change of thought affection or place for he wanteth nothing but hath all things present which in eternitie of time he might by diuers changings haue procured Therefore eternitie is a length without end no lesse proper to God then the breadth of his immensitie It followeth then Cap. 5 that we consider the Height of God of whom it is sayd Thou onely the Highest Psal 82 For God is most heigh in excellencie of Nature Other thinges are the more heigh and excellent the more pure they are and more free from matter This is euident first in corporall things For the Water is higher then the Earth because it is more pure and for the same cause the Ayer is higher then the Water and the Fire then the Ayer and the Heauen then the Fire The like also wee finde in Spirituall thinges for the vnderstanding is higher then the sence because the sence hath a Corporal organ which the vnderstanding needeth not Likewise the vnderstanding of Angels is higher then mans Because Mans vnderstanding needeth the helpe of Imagination and Phantasie which Angells need not and among Angells they are the Highest which vnderstand most by fewest Formes God therefore who is A pure Act needeth neither Organ nor Imagination nor Forme nor the presence of any Obiect without himselfe for his essence is to him all thinges Neither can he haue any thing which he hath not alwayes actually had and to haue Alwayes actually is alwayes to be a Pure and simple Act Therefore the Nature of God is most high and which cannot by any meanes haue an equall For which cause he who said I will be like to the Highest Isay 14 was suddainly cast downe from Heauen into the lowest Hell as Esay doth describe And Christ our Lord saith of him Luke 10 I saw Sathan as a lightning fall from Heauen God also is most High for that he is the first and Highest efficient exemplar and finall cause of all thinges He is the highest efficient cause for that there is no Creature which hath any working vertue but from God but God receiueth not from any other Againe no cause can worke vnlesse it be moued by God but God is mooued by no other Moreouer among Creatures such causes are said to be highest whiah are vniuersall and of whom particular causes depend As the Heauens and Angells which moue the Heauens but God made both the Heauens and Angells He therefore is the first and highest efficient cause And hee is the first exemplar cause for he made all thinges according to the Ideas or Formes which in him selfe he hath Lastly hee is also the first Finall cause For hee created all thinges for himselfe Pro. 16 to witt for manifestation of his glory as the wise man saith in the Prouerbes Moreouer God is most high because he sitteh in a most high Throne I saw our Lord saith Isay sitting vpon an high Throne and eleuated Isay 6 A seate hath two vses the one to Iudge the other to rest in let vs then consider each of them apart First God hath a most Throne because hee is the Highest Iudge For Abraham said vnto God Gen. 18 Psal 81 Thou doest iudge all the Earth And Dauid In the middes hee iudgeth goddes That is God iudgeth the Iudges themselues who in the Scripture are called Goddes And St. Iames saith plainly Iam 4 There is one Law-maker and Iudge That is to say God onely is the true Law-maker and Iudge For he onely giueth Lawes to all
stone but the Cittie it selfe pure gold like to pure glasse And the foundations of the Wall of the Cittie were adorned with all precious stone And the twelue Gates there are twelue Pearles But we must not imagin that heauenly cittie of Ierusalem is built or adorned with gold pearles and pretious stones as heere they are For the holy ghost vseth these wordes because he speaketh to vs who see no better or greateâ— things but without doubt that cittie which is the country of Gods elect doth more excell all the citties of this world then a cittie of gold or precious stones doth surpasse all country villages made of strawe and clay Lift vp therefore my soule the eyes of thy minde to heauen and thinke of what value the riches are there since golde siluer and precious stones which are heere so esteemed in comparison therof are but as strawe and clay The gold siluer and precious stones also which we haue are corruptible but those which shine in that heauenly Cittie are incorruptible But if thou wilt send thy corruptible gold and siluer by the hands of the poore vnto that heauenly Cittie which surely if thou be wise thou wilt doe then will it become incorruptible and be thine for euer For the Truth cannot lye who saith Mat. 19 Sel the things that thou hast and gine to the poore and tho shalt haue treasure in heauen And in another place Luke 12 Sel the thinges that you possesse and giue almes Make to you Purses that were not treasure that wasteth not in heauen Whither the theefe aprocheth not neither doth the Mothe corrupt O incredulitie of the sonnes of Men Man who is a lyer promiseth ten for one hundred and to repay the principall to his creditor and he is beleeued God who cannot lye promiseth to him that giueth an almes a treasure in heauen a hundred for one yea eternall life yet the couetous man feareth and cannot easily be perswaded to beleeue but had rather hide his treasure Where rust consumeth it Math. 19 and theeues breake in and steale it then lay it vp in heauen where there is neither rust to to consume it nor theefe to steale it But O vnhappy man although it chance that neither theeues doe steale nor Mothe or rust corrupt that which thou hast gott with labour and kept with care yet shall it not be thine as it might haue bin if by the handes of the poore thou hadst sent it into the heauenly treasurie For experience teacheth that the wealth which couetous rich men haue gathered commeth vnto prodigall heyres who in much shorter time waste it then their couetous parents got it whose sinne of couetousnes remayneth notwithstanding for euer Isay 66 For their worme of conscience shall not dye and the fire of hell shall not be extinguished Mar. 9 Therfore my soule let the folly of others teach thee Wisdome Heare thy Lord and master preaching See and beware of all auarice Luke 12 For not in any mans abundance doth his life consist of those thinges which he possesseth The couetous man gathereth and keepeth to haue whereby he may maintaine his life a long time but it happeneth otherwise For he dyeth when as he least thinketh thereof but his wealth couetously gotten doth ingender a worme that will not die and kindleth a fire that will not be quenched O vnhappy couetous man why haft thou so carefully scraped together money to prepare fewell for hell fire Heare St. Iames in his last Epistle go too now ye rich men Iam. 5 weep howling in your mileries which shall come to you Your riches are corrupt and your garments are eaten of Mothes your gold anâ— siluer is rusted and their rust shall be for a testimony to you and shall eate your flesh as fire You saith St Iames because you are rich are called and accompted happy but indeed ye are more miserable then the poore And yet haue great cause to lament for the great miseries which assuredly shall fall vpon you The superfluous wealth you haue kept and suffered to corrupt when yee ought to haue giuen it to the poore The superfluous garments you haue possessed and rather would haue the Mothes to eate them then the poore to be clothed with them And your gold and siluer which you would haue to rust rather then bestowe it to feed them All these things I say will beare witnesse against you at the day of iudgement and the Mothes and rust of your wealth will become a burning fire which shall waste your flesh for euer and not consume it that the fire may not be quenched nor the paine ended Let vs therefore conclude with the kingly Prophet Psal 143 They haue said to wit fooles that it is a happy people which hath these thinges that is to say great wealth but indeed Blessed is the people whose God is our Lord. THE FOVRTH STEPP From the Consideration of Waters and especially of Fountaines THe Water hath the second place among the elements of the world Cap. 1 and from it also being rightly considered a stepp of Ascention vnto God may be framed First therfore we will consider Waters ingenerall and after we will drawe a speciall Ascention vnto God from Fountaines The water is cold and moyst and hath as it were fiue properties For it washeth away spottes it quencheth fire it cooleth heate it ioyneth diuers things together and lastly it ascendeth as high as it descendeth lowe These things are manifest Emblemes and resemblances of God the Creator of all Water doth wash corporall spottes God doth wash spirituall spotts Psal 50 Thou shalt wâ—sh me saith Dâ—uid and I shall be made whiter then Snowe For although contrition Sacraments Priests almes and other workes of pietie doe wash the spotts that is the sinnes of the soule yet they are but instruments or dispositions the Author of this washing is onely God Isay 43 I am saith God by Isay I am he that take cleane away thine iniquities for mine owne sake And therefore the Pharises who murmuring against Christ sayd Who car forgiue sinnes but onely God Were not deceiued in giuing onely to God supreme power to forgiue sinnes but because they beleeued not that Christ was God and so they did both blaspheme and speake the truth at one time Neither doth God onely wash the spotts of the soule like water but also would be called water For so writeth St. Iohn He that beleeueth in me as the Scripture saith Iohn 7 out of his belly shall flowe riuers of liuing water And this he sayd of the spirit that they should receiue which beleeue in him for as yet the spirit was not giuen because Iesus was not yet glorified Therefore God the holy Ghost is liuing water and thereof speaketh Ezechiel Ezech. 36 I will poure out vpon you cleane water and you shall be clensed from all Contaminations But because this increated water doth farre excell the created water We
will set downe three differences betweene the washing of the one and the other The created water doth wash away corporall spotts yet not all for many it cannot wash away vnlesse it be holpen with soape or some other meanes The increated water doth wash away alâ— spotts for so we reade in the place aboue â—ited And you shall be cleansed from all your Contaminations The created water doth seldome so wash away spots but that some little signe of them remayneth The increated water doth wash in such sort that the thing washed becommeth more white and cleane then before it was contaminated Thou shalt wash me saith Dauid and I shall be made whiter then Snowe Psal 50 And our Lord saith by Isay If your sinnes shall be as Scarlet they shall be made white as Snowe Isay 1. and if they be red as vermition they shall be white as Wooll Also the created water doth wash naturall spottes which resist not the washing the increated water doth wash voluntary spotts which cannot be cleansed vnlesse the soule consent thereunto And so admirable is the vertue of this water that it sweetly entreth into hardened hartes and is not refused because as St. Augustine doth truely teach It selfe is the cause that it is not refused Lib. de praed ss c. 8. Who can conceaue O Lord how thou giuest faith vnto the vnfaithfull humilitie vnto the proude and charitie vnto thine enemies that he who once breathed forth threates and slaughter and persecuted thee in thy Deciples being changed on the sodaine most willingly suffered for thee and thy Church threates and persecutions Farr be it from me to diue into thy secrets for I had rather seele then search after the force of thy grace And because I knowe that water of thine to be A voluntary raine Psal 57 separated to thine inheritance as the Prophet sayd Therefore I humbly beseech thee let me be found in thy inheritance and let the dwe of thy grace descend into the earth of my hart that it remaine not like earth without water to thee for so barren it is that of it selfe it can thinke no good But to proceede Water quencheth fire Cap. 2 and the heauenly Water that is the grace of the holy ghost doth strangely quenche the fire of carnall lust Fasting and bodily afflictions auayle much also if they be vsed as instruments of grace otherwise of themselues they are of small force For loue is the cheife among the affections and perturbations of the minde which ruleth all and is obeyed by all Loue will not be forced and if it be stopped one way it breaketh out an other way Loue feareth nothing dareth any thing and vanquisheth all thing Lastly Loue yeeldeth onely vnto greater lone So flâ—shly loue which followeth the wealth and pleasures of the world yeildeth onely to the louâ— of God and the water of the holy ghost distilling into the hart of man quickly cooleth the heate of concuâ—â—scence Witnesse St. Augustine who being long accustomed to lust thought it vnpossible to want the company of a woman yet beginning to taste the grace of the holy ghost he cryed out in the ninth booke of his confessions 9 Cons c. 1. Quam suaue c. O how sweet was it to me on the sodaine to want the pleasures of trâ—flles and what before I feared to loose I now reioyced to firsake For thou the true aâ—d chiefest Happinesse didst cast them from me Thou didst cast them from me and didst enter for them more sweet then any pleasure but not to flâ—sh and blood more brigh then any light more inward then any secret more high then any honour but not to those that are high iâ— themseâ—ues Water also quencheth thirst Cap. 3 and onely the water of the holy ghost can quench the manifold and almost endlesse desires of mans hart So the truth speaking to the Samaritan woman plainely taught Euery one saith he that drinketh of this water Ioh 4 shall thirst againe but he that shall drinke of the water that I will giue him shall not thirst for euer Indeede so it is The eye is not filled with seeing neither is the eare fulfilled with hearing For the minde of man is capable of infinite good and all creatures are finite But he that beginneth once to drinke of this diuine water wherein all things are seeketh after no more And of this we haue spoken before were we treated that the rest of our soules is in God onely as in their proper center Water ioyneth diuers things together Cap. 4 as many graynes of corne to make one loafe and many peeces of earth to make one bricke But more easily and more vnsepeperably doth the Water of the holy Ghost make Act. 4 many men to be of one hart and one foule as we read in the Acts of the Apostles of the first Christians Act. 4 vpon whom the holy ghost did next after the Apostles descend And our Lord being to Ascend to his father commendeth that vnitie which the water of the holy gost causeth saying Ioh. 17 And not for them onely do I pray but for them also that by their word shall beleâ—ue in me that they all may be one as thou Father in me and I in thee that they also in vs may be one And a little after That they may be one as we also are one I in them and thou in me that they may bee consummate in one To which vnitie the Apostle also exhorteth vs in his Epistle to the Ephesians saying Be carefull to keep the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace Ephe. 4 One body and one spirit as you are called in one hope of your vocation O happy vnion which maketh many men one body of Christ 1 Cor. 10 1 Cor. 6 gouerned by one head participating of one bread drinking of one Cup and liuing by one spirit of God is made one spirit with him What can his seruants more desire then to participate not onely of all their masters goods but also by the vnseparable bond of loue to be made one with the Almighty All which is wrought by the grace of the holy Ghost when as liuing water it is deuoutly receiued and diligently kept in the hart Lastly the water ascendeth as high as it descendeth lowe Cap. 5 And as the holy ghost came from heauen to earth so that hart in whom he is receaued Ioh. 4 Is made a fountaine of water springing vp into life euerlasting as our Lord said to the Samaritan woman that is man borne againe of water and the holy Ghost who hath the same spirit dwelling within him causeth his merits to ascend from whence grace did descend Therefore my soule being taught and incited by these passages of Scripture say often to thy heauenly Father with deepe sighes Giue me this water which washeth cleane all spotts quencheth all fire of Lust colleth all heat of thirst and maketh me one spirit
thou canst not for other businesse giue thy selfe to prayer and spirituall exercises For the holy Apostles were most busied but indeed in the worke of God and saluation of soules so that on of them sayde 2 Cor. 11 Beside those thinges which are outwardly my dayly instance the carefulnesse of all Churches Who is weake and I am not weake Who is scandalized and I am not burnt And yet the same Apostle beside the often commemoration of his prayers writeth vnto the Philippians Philip. 3 our conuersation is in heauen For in the middest of businesse in desire he was in heauen els would he not haue said Cal. 2 With Christ I am nayled to the Crosse And I liue not now I but Christ liueth in me It is an other property of the ayre to be the Medium or meanes whereby colours and soundes come to our eyes and eares Cap. 2 without which we could not see heare or speak Wherefore we ought greatly to thanke God that it hath pleased him to beautifie our nature with so singular a benefit We ought also to admire the wisdome of our maker in a worke of so great subtilitie For although the ayre be a true body and so great that it filleth almost an infinite space yet it is neither seene nor felt by reason of the vncredible raritie therof The auncients did wonder at the smalnesse of a lyne which Apelles had drawne with a pencill but that line was seene and touched and therfore not to be compared with the thinnesse of the ayre which couereth and compasseth all and yet is seene of none And it is the more to be wondred that the ayre being so thinne a body yet being diuided it closeth againe together with meruaylous facilitie and remaineth as if it had neuer bin diuided Truely it is not possible for an Artizen so to amend a Spiders broken cob web or the rent of a very thinne Veyle but that the former renting will appeare It is also most worthy of admiration and onely belongeth to the wisdome of God to cause innumerable kindes of colours to passe together without confusion through the same part of the ayre For he who shall stand in a high and open place in the euening when the moone shineth and behold the heauen full of starres and fieldes full of flowers with houses trees beastes and other thinges of like sort cannot denie but that the Species or formes of those thinges are conteyned in the Ayer next vnto him altogether without confusion But who can conceiue this For how can it bee that so thinne a body should containe together such variety of formes And what if at the same time and place Birdes sing Instruments of musicke play and Waters falling make a noise are not those soundes or Formes of Soundes receiued altogether with so many colours or formes of colours in the same Ayer Who doth these thinges O my Soule but thy Maker Who onely doth great wonders And if his workes are so wonderfull how much more wonderfull is hee himselfe An other commoditie also the ayre affoordeth by reason of the exceeding raritie therof For it helpeth the motion of all thinges that reâ—â—â—oue from place to place We al knowe with what labour shipps are towed through the waters albeit they are liquid and easily diuided For somtimes neither Windes nor Oares suffice but the strength of horses and Buffaloes must be added And if perhapps a way be to be made through hills and Mountaines although but short yet in how long time and with what labour is it performed But in the ayre horses runne birdes flye and arrowes and Dartes are shot with great facilitie and speed men also goe vp and downe about their businesse and mooue their feet armes and handes vpward downeward and on either side And yet the ayre though it be euery where and of a corporall nature hindereth them no more then if it were a spirit or nothing at all Lastly Cap. 3 the ayre giueth place to euery thing changeth it selfe into euery forme and is diuided and broken for the commoditie of men so that it may seeme to teach them humilitie patience and charitie It representeth likewise vnto them the vncredible sweetnesse and exceeding bountie of the maker thereof Recollect therefore thy selfe O my Soule and diligently consider that thy Lord God is alwayes present with his Creatures and alwayes worketh with them and which is a token of Infinite sweetnesse cooperateth with the nature of euery one as if hee should say with his Apostle To all I became all thinges that I might saue all 1 Cor. 9 Necessary Agents hee causeth to worke necessarily Voluntary Agents voluntarily and free Agents freely He mooueth and helpeth the Fire to ascend the Earth to descend the Water to runne into steepe places the Ayer to passe which way soeuer it is driuen the Starres to mooue alwayes circularly Hearbes Shrubbes and Plants to beare fruite according to their nature Beastes of the earth Fishes and Fowles to do such thinges as their Kinds doth require And if the Sweetnesse of God appeareth so plainly by cooperating with his Creatures in the workes of Nature what shall wee thinke of the workes of Grace Truly God hath giuen Man free-will yet so that it is ruled by his Commandements terrified by his punishments allured by his benefites 1 Tim. 2 God would haue all men to bee saued Yet his will is that they also should haue a will thereunto and therefore hee doth so sweetly preuent incite lead and direct them that it is admirable to consider These are the inuentions of Gods Wisdome wherof Isay speaketh Isay 12 Make his inuentions knowne among the people Wicked men sometime he doth vehemently terrifie sometime louingly expect sometime mercifully admonish as he thinketh most agreeable to there natures and conditions Heare how mercifully God dealt with the first sinner Adam saith he where art thou Gen. 3 Who answering I heard thy voyce in Paradize and I feared because I was naked and I hid me God mercifully replied Who hath told thee that thou wast naked but that thou hast eaten of the tree whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat And Adam being admonished by this pious correction did repent for the Scripture saith She the wisdome of God kept him that was first made of God Father of the world Wisd 10 and she brought him out of his sinne Heare againe how mercifully God corrected the Children of Israell by his Angell and prouoked them to repentance Iudg. 2 The Angel of our Lord went vp saith the Scripture from Galgal to the place of weepers and said I brought you out of Aegipt and haue brought you into the Land for the which I sweare to your fathers and I promised that I would not make frustrate my couenant for euer Onely so that you shold not make a league with the Inhabitants of this Land but should ouerthrowe their Altars and you would not heare my voyce
a step by which through prayer and meditation wee may Ascend vnto God For surely it is more easie to Ascend with Elias in a Chariot of Fire then of Earth Water or Ayre to make a Ladder Let vs therefore consider the properties of the Fire The fire is of such a nature that in diuers thinges it worketh after a diuerse and often after a contrary manner Wood Hay and stubble it burneth presently Gold Siluer and precious stones it maketh more pure and bright Iron which of it owne nature is blacke colde hard and heauy the Fire so changeth into contrary quallities that forthwith it becommeth white hot soft and light yea to shine like a starre to burne like fire to melt like water and to bee so light that the Smith may easily mooue and remoue it as he pleaseth All these thinges doe manisestly agree vnto Almighty God For Wood Hay and stubble according to the Apostle in his first Epistle to the Corinthians signifie Euill workes which cannot indure the fire of Gods Iudgement 1 Cor 3 And truly it is vncredible how greatly all sinne displeaseth God who is a Most pure Fire and with what zeale he consumeth and destroyeth it if by repentance it may be destroyed that is If the sinner bee in state to repent But if hee be not capable of repentance as the Deuils are not nor men after this life then is Gods wrath turned vpon him For to God the impious and his impiety are odious alike saith the wise man Wis 14 And how exceeding great this hatred is the Deuill can witnes who sinned once and being a most noble Angell Greg. lib. 32 moral c 24 alias 18 and as St. Gregory saith Prince of the first Order and the most excellent of Gods Creatures was notwithstanding presently cast downe from Heauen depriued of all beauty and supernaturall grace changed into a most deformed monster and condemned vnto eternall punishment Our Sauiour Christ can witnesse who descended from Heauen to destroy the Workes of the Deuill to wit sinnes Ioh. 3 and therefore hee is called The Lambe of God that taketh away the Sinnes of the world Ioh. 1 But who is able to declare or conceiue what our Sauiour suffered to destroy the workes of the Deuill and perfectly to satisfie the iustice of God Who when hee was in the forme of God tooke the forme of a Seruant Being made poore for vs when as he was rich Hee had not where to repose his head albeit hee made Heauen and Earth He came into his owne Phil. 2 2 Cor. 8 Luk. 9 Ioh â— 1 Pet 2 and his owne receaued him not Who when hee reuiled did not reuile When hee suffered he threatned not but deliuered himselfe to him that iudged him vniustly Who himselfe bare our Sinnes in his body vpon the tree Phil 2 1 Pet 2 He humbled himselfe made obedient vnto death euen the death of the Crosse By whose stripes wee are healed Lastly hee was mocked spitten on whipped crowned with thornes and being crucified with exceeding ignominy and paine he rendred vp his life to destroy the workes of the Deuill and to wipe away our sinnes The Law of God can witnes which prohibiteth and punisheth all sin yea leaneth not one idle worde vnpunished Mat 12 How greatly then doth God abhorr enormious crymes that cannot indure one idle worde Psal 18 The Law of our Lord is imaculate the precept of our Lord lightsome detesting sinne and darkenesse for betweene light and darkenesse 2 Cor. 6 iustice and iniquitie there can be no society Hell also can witnesse which God hath prepared for sinners who when as they had time neglected or refused to be washed with the blood of the immaculate Lambe For it is iust that they who haue committed Eternall sinnes should haue eternall punishments But what and how great the paines of Hell are is horrible to thinke Whereof we wil speak more in the last step Therefore my soule since Gods hatred is so great against sin if thou louest God aboue all thinges thou oughtest also to hate sinne aboue all thinges Take heed they deceaue thee not who vse to extenuate or excuse sinne Looke also that thou deceaue not thy selfe with false reasons for if sinne displease thee not both in thy selfe and others thou louest not God and if thou louest not God thou art vndone Againe if thou bee not vngratefull vnto Christ how greatly mayst thou reckon thy selfe indebted to his loue laboures blood and death Who hath washed thee from sinne and reconciled thee to his father And shall it then be greeuous vnto thee to suffer somewhat for Christ or for his sake by his grace to resist sinne euen vnto blood Lastly if thou canst not patiently indure the Hell of eternal fire surely thou oughtest not patiently to indure sinne but As from the face of a Serpent flye from it Eccle. 21 and from euery light occasion or suspition thereof Endeauour therfore all thou mayst to hate sinne aboue all things and to loue God aboue all things The fire also destroyeth not but perfecteth and purisieth golde Cap. 2 siluer and pretious stones For as the same Apostle doth there declare those mettalls signifie good workes which are approoued by the fire of Gods iudgement 1 Cor. 3 These workes God doth approoue because they are his guiftes And when he crowneth our merits saith St Augustine Con. 2. in psal 70 he crowneth his guiftes For they are done by his commandement asistance and powre and by the lawe and precepts which he hath appointed Gold also signifieth the Werkes of Charâ—â— 1 Ioh. 4 and how can the workes of Charitie but please God since God himselfe is Charitie Siluer signifieth the workes of Wisdome Dan. 12. to wit of them that instruct mony vnto iustice And they also are very pleasing and acceptable vnto God For the Wisdome of God saith Mat. 5 He that shall doe and teach he shall be called great in the kingdome of heauen Pretious stones are the workes of a continent soule of which Ecclesiasticus speaketh Eccle. 26 All Weight is not worthy a continuent soule And that is the cause why in the office of the Church the Gospell of One pretious Pearle found is read in the praise of holy virgins Math. 13 And how greatly the puritie of virginitie is pleasing to God may be vnderstood by the Prophet Esay who by Gods appointment and in his name prophesied vnto such Eunuches as haue gelt themselues for the Kingdome of heauen Math. 19 I will giue vnto them in my house and with my walles a place Isay 56 and a name better then Sonnes and Daughters An euerlasting name will I giue them which shall not perish Which place St. De Sanct virg c. 21 24 Augustine in his booke of holy virginitie excellently declareth to be vnderstood of holy virgins of either sex And these three sortes of workes by the consent of
whome he loueth Thus he Whereby he plainely declareth that God sheweth himselfe vnto blessed soules not as a iudging Lord but as a familiar friend And truely the familiaritie which God also sheweth in this life to pure and chaste mindes is vncredible For of him it is sayd My delights to be with the children of men Prou. 8 Prou. 3 And his talke is with the simple Hence was it that all the Saintes albeit they suffered pressures in the world had notwithstanding peace in their harts where God dwelt therefore they seemed and were indeed alwayes ioyfull and quiet For to them the Truth said Ioh 16 Your hart shall retoyce and your ioy no man shall take from you There remaineth the fourth part of dimension which is called depth Cap. 8 The depth of Gods essence is manifold First the Diuinitie is in it selfe most deepe solide and substantiall Not like a guilded wedge which hath gold onely in the outside and within is brasse or wood but like an endlesse wedge of gold or rather like a mine of golde so deepe that by digging it can neuer be emptied So is God vncomprehensible For as a Myne of gold without bottome can neuer be emptied with digging so God whose greatnesse is without end can neuer be so perfectly knowne by any Creature but that there still remayneth more to be known and God onely comprehendeth that depth who onely hath an infinite vnderstanding Depth also belongeth to God in respect of place For as he is most high and aboue all So he is most deep and vnder all Who as the Apostle saith Carrieth all thinges by the word of his power Heb. 1 God therefore is as the foundation and rooâ—e of a house Act. 17 In whom we live and mooue and be So that Salomon sayd most truely Heauen and the heauens of heauens cannot containe thee â— Reg. 8. For God rather containeth the heauens and all thinges vnder them because he is both aboue the heauens and vnder the earth Furthermore Gods depth is his inuisibilite For God is Light but vnaccessible he is truth but most secret Psal 17 Thou hast put darkenesse thy Couert saith Dauid And Isay 45 verily he is God hidden as I say speaketh St. Augustine seeking God on a time sent his eyes as messengers from earth to heauen And all thinges answered Lib. 9 coÌ„â— c. 〈…〉 lib. 10 c. 6. in psal 26. 28 We are not him whom thou seekest but he made vs. Wherefore not finding God by Ascention through outward thinges he began to Ascend through inwrard thinges and from them he learned that God was more easily to be found for he knewe that the soule was better then the body and the inward sence then the outward sence and the vnderstanding then it Whence he gathered that God who is more inward then the vnderstanding was better then the vnderstanding Therefore whatsoeuer we vnderstand or conceaue is not God but some other thing lesse then God for he is better then we can conceaue Goe too then my soule if thou art better then thy body to whome thou giuest life because it is a body and thou a spirit and if the eye of thy body cannot see thee because it is without and thou within So thinke likewise that thy God is better then thou art because he is a spirit more high and inward then thou For thou dwellest as it were without but he resideth in his most profound and secret Tabernacle But shalt thou neuer be admitted thether God forbid Thy Lord doth not lye who saith Math 5 Blessed are the cleane of hart for they shall see God Nor his Apostle who sayd We see now by a glasse in a darke sort 1 Cor. 13 but then face to face Nor St. Iohn the Euangelist who writ We knowe that when he shall appeare 1 Ioh 3 we shall be like to him because we shall see him as he is How great then will thy ioy be when in that secret and sacred Sanctuary thou shalt see and enioy that light beauty and goodnesse it selfe Then shall it plainely appeare how vaine transitorie and of small moment the goods of this earth are wherewith men being inebriated forget the true and euerlasting But if thou thirst indeed after the liuing God And if thy teares be breades vnto thee day and night whiles psal 41 it is sayd where is thy God Be not slowe to cleanse thy hart whereby thou mayst see God Be not weary to dispose ascentions in thy hart vntill the God of Goddes shall be seene in Syon Psal 83 Neither waxe thou colde in the loue of God and thy neighbour 1 Ioh. 3 nor loue in word and in tongue but in deed and truth For that is the way that leadeth to life euerlasting THE ELEVENTH STEPP From the Consideration of the greatnesse of Gods power by the similitude of a corporall quantitie GReat is our Lord Cap. 1 and there is no end of his Greatnesse For he is not great onely because Omnipotencie is his higth infinite wisdome his depth incomprehensible mercie his breadth iustice like a rod of yron his length but also for that these Attributes are infinite in breadth length higth and depth And to begin from his Power or rather his Omnipotency The breath of Gods power consisteth in extention to infinite thinges First it is extended to all thinges made for there is nothing from the greatest Angel to the least Worme or from the highest Heauen to the lowest Hell which was not made by the power of God Ioh. 1 All things saith St. Iohn were made by him and without him was made nothing And after The world was made by him Secondly it is extended to all thinges that shal be made For as nothing hath bin made but by him so likewise nothing shall be made but by him So speaketh the Apostle Rom. 1. Of him and by him and in him are all thinges Thirdly it is extended to all thinges that may be made So speaketh the Angel There shall not be impossible with God any worde Luk. 1 And our Lord himselfe saith Math 19 With God all thinges are possible Fourthly it is extended to the destruction of all thinges made For as God could by a floude of Water destroy at once all men and other liuing creatures vpon earth except a few which it pleased him to preserue within Noahs Arke So be can by a floude of Fire at one time destroy not onely all Men and other Creatures found liuing at the lâ—st day but also all Trees Cittyes and other thinges vpon Earth The day of our Lord saith Saint Peter the Apostle in his last Epistle shall come as a Theefe 2 Pet. 3 in the which the Heauens shall passe with great violence but the Elements shall be resolued with heate and the Earth and the workes which are in it shall be burnt Great surely is the breadth of Gods Power and
which none can sufficiently admire vnlesse he could number all the Creatures which God hath made shall make or can make And who is able so to doe but hee whose knowledge is Infinite This Power also may seeme the greater when wee imagine how great a thing it is to destroy thinges made so many ages in one moment or as Iudas Machabaeus saith To destroy with one becke Mach 8 Let vs therefore say with Mases Exod. 15 Who is like to thee among the strong O Lord The length of Gods Power is seene by continuall cooperation with all thinges made Cap. 2 yet neither is nor euer shall be wearied For it cannot be lessened weakened or decayed by any meanes because it is truely eternall or rather the true eternity of the Diuinity Some wonder how the Sunne Moone and Starres can mooue so long time with such speed from East to West and returne again to their courses without any intermission And surely it were much to be wondred at but that we know they are carried by God Almighty Who carrieth all thinges by the worde of his Power Heb 1 Others wonder how it can be that in Hell the fire is not consumed which burneth euerlastingly nor the bodyes of those wretches dissolued which are for euer scorched in those flames And this may be thought not onely admirable but also vnpossble were it not that God who is Almighty and Euerlasting causeth that fire so to burne that it is neuer quenched and so preserueth the bodyes of those wretches in that fire that they are alwayes tormented and neuer consumed Others wonder moreouer how God Carrieth and sustaineth all thinges and yet is not wearied with so huge a burthen For a strong Man Horse Oxe or Elephant can carry a great weight a little while or a very great weight a very short while But to carry a most great burthen an euerlasting time without wearinesse surpasseth the strength of any Creature But indeed they had cause to wonder if the Power of God were in Weight and Measure as the power of Creatures is But since his power is Infinite it is no meruaile if it can beare a great burthen an infinite time without wearinesse Let vs say therefore with the holy Prophet Moses Exod. 15. Who is like to thee among the strong O Lord. The Height of Gods power consisteth chiefly in two thinges Cap. 3 First in that it onely hath made Most high things Sublunary thinges God made in the first Creation yet may they by Action of Creatures be ingendred altred or corrupted For the Elementes are in part mutually changed Hearbes and Plantes spring from the Earth Beastes are bred of Beastes Fishes are ingendred in the Water cloudes and rayne in the Ayer and Cometts in the Fire But the Heauens Starres which are the highest bodyes God onely created and he alone doth so preserue that no creature hath power to make change alter or corrupt them I shall see saith the Prophet thy Heauens Psal 8 the workes of thy Fingers the Moone and Starres which thou hast founded For he that is most High hath kept the highest workes for himselfe onely he began to frame them from their foundation and hath brought them to their perfection Hee also by his Infinite power created preserueth and for euer will preserue thinges Spirituall as Angells and the soules of men which are his noblest and highest workes from death For Creatures haue no part in doing these thinges neither can they all ioyned together Create or destroy one Angell or one soule Secondly the height of Gods power is seene in Miracles which as St. Tract 24 in Ioh. Augustine teacheth Are workes beside the vsuall course and order of Nature whereat the very Angells and Nature her selfe doth wonder Which of the Angells did not wonder to see the Sunne and Moone which runne their course so speedily stand still at the commandment of Iosue Ios 10 And that wee may not thinke it fell out casually for none can imagine how a thing so vnusuall could be donne by a mortall man the holy Ghost saith Our Lord obeying the voyce of a Man â—â—dem For Iosue did not properly speake vnto the Sunne and Moone which he knew could not heare his commandement but he prayed to God as if he should say Thou Sunne by the commandement of God against Gabaon moue not And thou Mâ—one against the valley of Aâ—alon And our Lord obeyed the voyce of a Man That is Caused those Lights to obey the voyce of a Man For often times in holy Scripture God is said to do those things whereof be is the Cause that they are done As in Genesis when our Lord said to Abraham Now haue I knowen that thou fearest God Gen. 22 the meaning of those wordes is Now haue I caused that both thy selfe and others know that thou truely fearest God The like also was that worke signifying the height of Gods power at the Passion of our Lord When the Moone which was very farre distant from the Sunne approached with vncredible speed vnto the Sun Ecclipsing it three houres Math. 27 caused darknesse vpon the whole earth after with like speed returned to the place from whence she came All which St. Denis in his Epistle to St. Policarpe doth witnes that he saw and obserued And this truely is a wonder coÌ„trary to the former though no lesse strange For it is as vnusuall and as much aboue the whole power of Nature to make the Moone runne her course more speedily then she is accustomed as it is to make her stand still I omit the giuing sight to the blinde the raysing of the dead and many such like miracles which God hath done and doth by his Prophets Apostles and other his faithfull seruantes All which doe crye Who is like to thee among the strong O Lord But I cannot omitt that cheife and greatest Miracle which God shall shew at the day of Iudgement when all the dead shall rise together albeit the bodyes of many of them haue beene burned to ashes and scattered in the Windes or deuoured by beastes and changed into other bodies or buried in fieldes and Orchards and altred into sundry hearbes Which of the Angells but will wonder to behold in the twinckling of an eye so many Millions of Millions of Millions of men at the commandement of the Almightie to take againe their bodies albeit they haue lyen hidd for many ages and after diners manners haue bene dispersed and consumed This therefore is the higth of Gods power in regard whereof it may likewise be said Who is like to thee among the strong O Lord. There remaineth the depth Cap. 4 of his power which seemeth to me to consist in the manner which God vseth in making thinges For who can conceaue how somthing is made of nothing They could not sound this depth who held it for a certaine and approued Principle That of nothing nothing is
made And we also in this beleeue what we see not but we belecue God who cannot lye I say we beleeue that heauen and earth and all thinges that are therein were created by God without anyprecedent matter whereof they were made But how this could be done is a thing too deepe for vs to finde out Moreouer God did not onely make all thinges of nothing but also in nothing to wit without precedent space or place to containe them in which is hard to vnderstand especially in corporall things And therefore this depth also is not to be founded Take away saith St. Augustine in his Epistle to Dardanus the distances of plaeces from bodies Epist 57 and they shall be no where and because they shall be no where they shall not be If therefore nothing was before God created heauen and earth where did he place heauen earth Truely not in Nothing And yet they are created placed in themselues because he so would and could who can do all thinges although we cannot conceaue how they are done This did God himselfe signifie when declaring his omnipotence to holy Iob he said Iob. 38 Where wast thou when I layd the foundations of the earth tell me if thou hast vnderstanding who set the measures thereof if thou knowe Or who stretched out the lyne vpon it Vpon what are the foundations thereof grounded Or who let downe the corner stone thereof And that we might vnderstand these workes of Gods omnipotence to be most worthy of all prayse our Lord himselfe presently addeth When the morning starrs praysed me together and all the sonnes of God mode inbilation To wit the Holy Angells which were created together with heauen and earth and are as it were spirituall starrs so bright that they may be called the sonnes of God when they sawe heauen and earth created of nothing and placed in nothing and yet to be most firmely founded vpon their owne stabilitie with wonderfull admiration and iubilation they praysed the omnipotency of their maker Neither is it lesse profound to vnderstand how God by the onely command of his will did erect such huge buildinges For we knowe that in edifices lesse without comparison how many instruments inginnes and workemen Architeckes want Who therfore can conceaue how by Will onely which neuer goeth out of the thing that willeth so great and manyfold workes could be made God sayd but to himselfe for the word of God is in God and is God He sayd I say commanding and expressing the commandement of his will Gen 1 Ioh. 1 Be Heauen made and heauen was made Be earth made and earth was made Be light made Be a Sunne made Be starrs made Be Trees made Be Beastes made Be Men made Be Angells made And all things were made Add also that the same God can if he will destroy all thinges with one becke as we read in the books of the Machahies 2 Mach 8 It is likewise a depth vnsoundable how God made all these great and manifold thinges consisting of so many partes and members in a moment Nature and Art with vs require a long time to perfect their workes We see hearbes are sowen long before they growe and oftentimes many yeares passe before trees take roote extend their boughes and bring forth fruite Beastes likewise carry their young ones long within them and after they seede them long also before they growe great I will say nothing of Art for experience sheweth that our Artizans can bring nothing to perfection but in a competent time How great therefore is the power of God which in a moment hath brought so great thinges to perfection But I dispute not whether God in a moment made heauen and earth and all thinges therein or whether he spent six whole dayes in the first Creation of thinges For I vndertake not to cleere doubts but to frame Ascentions vnto God from the consideration of thinges That then which I affirme and admâ—re is that euery particular thing was made in a moment by the Omnipotent Creator For of the earth water ayte and fire there is no doubt as also of the Angells but that they were created altogether in a moment Of the Firmament and diuision of waters it is likewise certaine that all was don by the powerfull word onely of the speaker saying Gen 1 Be a Firmament made amidst the waters that in a momeÌ„t For it followeth And it was so done Vpon which place St. Hom 4. in Gen. Iohn Chrysostome saith He onely sayd and the worke followed And the same Author vpon those wordes Let the earth shoote forth green hearbs And it was so done sayth Hom. 5 â—n Gen. Quis non obstupescat cogitans c. Who would not wonder to thinke how at the word of our Lord the earth should shoote forth sundry flowers and adorne her face as it were with an admirable embroyderie You might haue seene the earth which before was without forme on the sodaine to become almost as faire as the heauen And after vpon those wordes Be there Lights made thus he speaketh He onely saâ—d and this admirable element was made I meane the Sunne What if you add that in the same moment and with the same word the same Creator made the Moone and all the Starres Also vpon those wordes Let the waters bring forth thus he speaketh Hom. 7 What tongue can sufficiently prayse the maker For euen as when he sayd to the earth Let it shoot forth and presently there appeared great plenty of sundry hearâ—es and flowers So here he said let the waters bring forth and forthwith so many kindes of Fowles and creeping creatures were made as no tongue can rehearse Who therefore is like to thee among the strong O Lord Thou dost now plainely vnderstand O my soule Cap. 5 how great the power of thy maker is whose breadth is infinite whose length is eternall susteyning and gouerning all thinges without wearinesse whose higth doth thinges which seem vnpossible are so but to him onely whose depth maketh thinges in such sort that the maÌ„ner therof surpasseth the vnderstanding of any Creature For he maketh them of nothing in nothing without tooles without time onely hy his worde and commandement He said saith the Prophet and they were made Psal 148 hee commanded and they were created Whence thou maist gather if thou be wise how much it importeth thee to please and not offend him and to haue him thy friend and not thy enemy For being offended with thee hee can in a moment depriue thee of all Good fill thee with all Misery neither is there any that can deliuer thee from his hands If being â—aked and alone thou shouldest meete with thy mortall enemy who assayled thee with a sharpe Sword what wouldest thou doe how wouldest thou sweat looke pale tremble and casting thy selfe on thy knees begge for mercy and yet he is a man so that perhappes thou mightest
teares that while time serueth they may be clensed and washed away by thy grace Amen THE THIRTEENTH STEPP From the Consideration of Gods practicall Wisdome WE haue considered the speculatiue Wisdome of God Cap. 1 Let vs now consider his practicall wisdome which also we may call Effectiue This Wisdome hath her Bredth Length Height and Depth The bredth is knowne by the Creation the length by the Preseruation of thinges created the height by the worke of Redemption the depth by Prouidence predestination And to begin from the Creation Psal 103 God hath made all thinges in wisdome as it is said in the Psalme Ecclus 1 And hath powred her out vpon all his workes as Ecclesiasticus writeth As therefore by the Creation of all thinges of nothing wee knowe the power of their Maker So likewise by the admirable work-manshippe which we beholde in euery one of them we wonder at the wisdome of the same Maker Wisd 11 For he hath dispâ—sed all thinges in meâ—sare â—nd number and weight as the wise Man saith And with this sauour God hath seasonâ—â— alâ— things that thereby we may 〈…〉 to knowe 〈…〉 aâ—â—able and desâ—â—â—able Wâ—sdoâ—â— it selfe is All creatures therefore haue a certaine measure number and weight First to distinguish them from God who hath no Measure because he is immense nor Number because he is most perfectly and simply One in Essence Nor Weight because his prise and value exceedeth all estimation Secondly for that they are good and beautifull as Moyses truely sayd Gen 1â— God saw all things that he had made and they were very good All thinges therefore haue that Measure which is needful for them to obtaine the end for which they are made in such sort that there can be no addition or substraction therein but forthwith the thing becommeth deformed vnprofitable and lesse good then before Eccle 3 God made all thinges good in their time saith the Preacher Wee cannot add any thing nor take away any from those thinges which God hath made that he may be feared God therfore hath giuen to the heauen a most large Measure that it might containe all thinges belowe within the compasse thereof To the ayre much lesse then to the heauen yet greater then to the earth and waters which make one Globe enclosed round about by the ayre To an Elephant he hath giuen a great measure of body that he might be able to carry great burthens and Castles full of men To a Horse a body somewhat lesse because he is to carry but one ryder Birdes he hath made small that they might hang their Neastes vpon the boughes of Trees Bees and Antes the least of al that they might â—ide themselues in their Hiues or in holes of the earth The like we may say of Number God hath made but one Sunne because one Sunne suffised to giue light to the whole earth and with his brightnesse to make the day He made also but one Moone because one Moone suffised to giue light in the night Yet would he haue many starres that when as the Sunne and Moon were both absent as at their comunction it happeneth they might in some sort put away the darkenesse of the night Neither hath he onely assigned a necessary Number to all thinges ingenerall but also hath appointed to each thing in particular such Number of partes that there can nothing be added or taken away God hath giuen a man two eyes two eares two handes two feete one nose one mouth one breast one head And he hath appeared a very beautifull and comely creature Change this order Let a man haue one eye two noses one â—are two mouthes one hand one foote two breastes or two heades and nothing can be more vnseemely or more deformed Moreouer God hath giuen Weight to wit that estimation to euery Creature as the Nature thereof doth require By the name of Weight or price we vnderstand such qualities as make thinges good and pretious And they are in number three Necessary partes that nothing be superfluous or defecture Commensuration or an apt proportion of partes And an externall amiable colour of the body with such internall vertues as shall be profitable and necessary for diuers actions But it is merueylous to consider what vertue God hath giuen to sundry very small and slender Creatures that as his power is in great so his wisdome might be seen in small-thinges Who can conceaue what vertue is in a graine of Mustard-seede which is the least of all seeds so that the eye can hardly discerne it and yet so great a tree lyeth hidden therein That the Foules of the 〈◊〉 come and dwell in the braunches thereof as the Truth speaketh in the Gospell Math 3 Neither is this proper to Mustard seede onely but common to all other seedes in whose vertue lyeth hidd the roots stâ—mms branches leaues blossomes and fruite of great trees Truely if we did not know this by experience we should not easily perswade men that from so small a seede so many sundry great thinges could euer spring Who likewise would imagine that an Ant a Ghat a Hea and such small câ—â—atures had seete which speedily mooue a head a hart inward and outward senses and prudence and iudgement after their manner although very vnperfect Who also would suppose that in these and such like small creatures there should be such force to pierce and enter the quicke flesh that they become not onely very troublesome to men but also to Elephantes and Lyona whome they terrifie Great therefore is our Lord and great is his Wisdome both in great thiâ—ges and in small The Prince of Phisitions although an Ethnicke did sometimes wonder at the cunning workmanship which God hath wrought in a mans hand Gal inlib depart and cryed out in praise of the Maker What oughtest thou then O Christian to doe who seest that not onely the bodies of men and other liuing creatures but also the heauens the starres the Angells and the immertall soulâ—s of men are made with vncredible Wisdome by the same most wâ—se Creator Moreouer the length of his Practicall wisdome appeareth in the preseâ—â—ation of things Cap. 2 as the breadth therof in their Creation but especially of such as are corruptible First then if any one will but consider how God nourisheth and causeth hearbes plantes beastes and the bodies of men to growe and preserueth them to the vttermost he cannot but with astonishment wonder at Gods Wisdome For with earth and water he nourisheth hearbes and plantes and causeth that the nourishment doth passe from the roote to the stock and from the stock it is drawne vp by a certaine vertue to the boughes leaues and fruite so that it â—unneth into euery part after an admirable manner Men likewise and some beastes he nourisheth with hearbes Aples and with the flesh of beastes and causeth the nourishment to enter and passe through all partes of the body with such facilitie and delight