thy selfe since thy beeing is Eternitie it selfe In contemplating the sundrie beauties which God hath disperâ—â—â— in the world rauishing the beholders eyes with admiration let vs say with an auncient Father if God permit the â—se of so many goodly things euen to his enemyes what will he reserue for his friends in the life to come In beholding the Sunne the world 's onely eye the fountaine of light from whence all the other starrs borrow their brightnes doth not occasion present it selfe in which we may consider the increated light of that God who is all light and whom darknes cannot obscure who doth inhabite an inaccessible light who is the Sunne of Iustice who is the true light by which euery one coming into this world is enlightened And to lift vp our thoughtes towards the Sunne of Iustice the Orient from aboue towards that heauenly Citie which stands in need of no Sunne nor Moone because Gods brightnes doth lighten it and its Lampe is the Lambe When the day doth enlighten vs and discouer vnto vs so many beauties which the nightly vayle doth hide from our eyes Alas may we say when shall the faire day of Eternitie appeare which shall be followed by no night and where we shall see the light of the Diuinitie in the light of Glorie And when the night mother of sleepe and rest shall spreade her darke mantle all besett with starrs ouer the face of the earth if we desire to with-draw our thoughtes from the sad night of the accursed Eternitie marked in the Scripture with the name of exteriour darknes a night which shall neuer see the day of Grace or Glorie what shall hinder vs in beholding so many torches which sparkle in those celestiall vaultes vpon a cleare night to propose vnto our selues the Blessed who shine as starrs for perpetuall Eternities differing in blesse brightnes as one starre differs from another Why may we not also contemplate the essentiall Eternitie of God vnder this Symbole since it is written he set his signet vpon the darknes That his night is as bright as day and his darknes shineth like light So shall the night afford vs a gratefull light And during the obscurities we shall lift vp our hands towards the holy places blessing our Lord till our chaÌ„ge shall draw neere and that we shall see him no more after a darke manner but face to face If the Sunn's course within his annuall circle shewe vnto vs the diuersitie of seasons the floures of the Spring and the fruites of the fall may not these things bring him vnto our consideration who is the flowre of the feild and the lilie of the vally whose lilie is most florishing him in a word who is the fruite of life the fruit of the blessed virgins woÌ„be the Sonne of the Eternall God whose floures are fruites of honour and honestie And the seasons of Summer and winter in the distempered excesse of their heates and cold are they not figures of that infortunate Eternitie where the damned passe out of icie waters into flames If we looke vpon the Elements wherof all the mixt bodies are composed doe not earth and Fire prefigure vnto vs the accursed Eternitie since the earth conteynes the fire of Hell with in its Center which shall neuer be extinguished And are not the Aire and Water a picture of Paradice where the Blessed doe flie and swimme as foole and fishe in the essentiall Eternitie Is it not written that the Elect after the Doome of the last Assises shall be taken vp into the ayre after IESVS CHRIST and that in heauen they shall drinke of the torrent of pleasures eternally and swime in those impetuous floodes which doe make the Citie of God ioyfull Whether we make reflection vpon our owne or other mens liues or whether we consider in an others death the picture of our owne which we cannot escape is it not a iust occasion to thinke of the life which shall neuer dye and of that second death which shall neuer liue although indeede it can neuer dy nether If according to the Apostle we may eate and drinke to God's glorie why may not we also in taking our repast thinke of the sacietie which we hope for in his glorie when as most happie children of the Deitie we shall be set at our heauenly Fathers table fed with the same foode with himselfe because we shall enioy the same Beatitude by which God is happie for being happie of himselfe in himselfe shall be our eternall happines when we shall be made partakers of him made like vnto him coÌ„formable to his Image and to vse the tearme of the holy Scripture partakers of his Diuine nature While we take our repose in our bedd why may we not thinke of him that is eternall and reflect vpon the repose which he prepares for vs in Eternitie if in the tyme of this mortall course we fight lawfully for him O God thou art my repose for euer and euer I haue made choyce of the bosome of thy goodnes to remayne therin eternally Who will giue me the wings of a Doue to flie vp to that assured repose and to passe into the place of the admirable Tabernacle euen vnto the house of God We may intertaine our selues with the same thoughts vpon Sonday the day of rest and repose seeing we are commanded to cease from corporall labours to be free to contemplate the Diuine Goodnesse and that delicate Saboath which the Saintes enioy in Eternitie for there it is saith the holy Ghost that they rest from labours and where they reape in ioy what they had sowen in teares Vpon festiuall days whether it be of the mysteries of our holy Fayth or of the solemnities of our Sauiour IESVS of his holy mother or of Saintes can we be imployed in a better thought then with the desire of imitating them to meet them in Eternitie by walking in the pathes which they haue marked vs out For in vaine should we boast that we are members of IESVS CHRIST and children of Saints if we refuse to walke as they haue walked that so following their example we may come to be made worthy vnto the part of the lot of Saintes in the light of eternall felicitie Vpon worke dayes which the Church Office calls ferialls we are to thinke that none comes to the eternall Ferialls but by labours and sufferaÌ„ces Whervpon the Scripture councelleth vs to walke towards goodnes while the day lasteth and carefully to put our hand to the worke while tyme is fauorable and the day proper to worke our saluation in Whether we be sitting standing or walking euery posture of our bodie represents Eternitie Sitting should reduce vnto our memorie the emptie Seates of the Angells fallen from Heauen which remayne for vs to fill and repaire their ruines And the Seates also prepared for those who are to iudge the world together with our Sauiour If we stand let vs thinke of that which the Psalmist saith we were straight
support euil smells that to enter into a Hospitall makes them swoone And yet what is all this in comparison of the infamous exhalation of this gulfe of horrour of which we speake Alas Athanasia LAZARVS his sisters though verie affectionate to their brother could not endure that IESVS CHRIST should cause his graue to be opened by reason of the stinch which they apprehended would issue out of it albeit he were but dead for the space of foure dayes O infernall Caue without all vent or breathing hole receptacle of filth and dunge eternall graue of such as die continually and yet cannot die with what abominable filth art thou not filled you daintie offenders who liue onely amidst parfumes and Roses who are dayly loaden with all the Parfumers drouges then it is that in steede of sweete odours you shall rott in execrable smells for punishment of that that by your euil exemple you were in your life tyme an odour of death to death and not an odour of life to life and a good odour in IESVS CHRIST as pious people are Then shall be said of you that which a Prophete pronounced of Israel in Captiuitie those that were clad in purple and imbaulmed with parfumes haue imbraced dunghills With what afflictions shall not their taste be tormented For besids the gale of dragons wherof the scripture saith they shall drinke and the bread of greife which shall be their comon foode a continuall hungar and thirst shall terribly tyrannise ouer them They shall endure the hungar of mad-dogges saith the Psalmist And as touching the thirst which the burning heate of the reuengefull flame shall cause in them the storie of the wicked Rich-man doth furnish vs with an authenticall proofe Iust iudgment of God vpon those who in their life tyme cramd themselues with the worlds fayding delightes crowning themselues with roses and spoyling all the floures of the meades of pleasures All the most horrible famine that Scripture and histories propose vnto vs are but weake pictures to that which the damned shall suffer in this vnfortunate Residence of eternall miseries The paine of the sense of touching XXVI THe sense of touching the grossest of all the rest yet the furthest extended affording more hold to miserie in my opinion shall be more afflicted then the rest and the subiect vpon which the most cruell punishments shall be exercised Yes Athanasia for all the torments which the Scripture doth propose vnto vs as prepared for those which by the diuine Iustice shall be cast into the darke Dungeon of that eternall Gaole seeme to fall vpon this onely sense They shall passe saith IOB from snowie waters that is from the extremitie of cold to intollerable heates Whole floodes of fire and brimstone shall shewre downe vpon those vnfortunate wretches and againe a part of their chalice shall be fire hale snow ice and the boysterous blast of tempestes You see that all this belongs to the sense of touching And indeede this eternall fire whither the reprobate shall be condemned by the last sentence and this Pond of fire and brimstone whither they shall be cast headlōg shall worke principally vpon this Sense The hatchet is alreadie put to the roote of the tree said the forerunner of Messias and that which shall yeald no fruit shall be cut downe and cast into the fire He hath alreadie taken the vanne into his hand put into it the corne and chaffe being resolued to separate them and reserueing the one for his Granarie to cast the other into a fire which shall neuer be quenched And if amongst the torments which humaine Iustice hath inuented for the punishment of crimes there is none held more rigorous then that of fire by reason of the great actiuitie of this element what shall the heate of that fire be which shall be the executioner of the Iustice of the God of vēgeance whose Zeale shall be inflamed against the wicked and shall kindle the fire which shall eternally burne in the extremities of Hell as MOYSES doth expresse it The Contemplatiues striue to persuade vs that the materiall fire which we experience here below is but as a painted fire in respect of that whose flame doth cause a horrible combustion saith EZECHIEL which shall neuer be extinguished The Reprobate saith S. IOHN shall drinke the wine of Gods wroth and shall be tormented with fire and brimstone and the smoake of his torment shall assend for euer and euer that is shall neuer end And here it is ô my dearest soule to purge thee from the rouste of thyne iniquities and to make thee absolutely and for euer renounce sinne an accursed cause of so horrible an effect that I must brand thee with a wholsome marke and make the descende in thought into those disasterous flames asking thee with the Prophete ISAYE whether thou art able to liue in this deuoureing fire and whether thou wilt make choyce of thy habitation in eternall flames I must vrge thee vpon this point ô my soule and without vsing distinctions or euasions without all exceptions thou must answere my demand This fire is prepared for the Diuel and his reuoulted Angells saith the holy Euangilist consider whether thou will enter into this accursed crue and take part of the dreggs of their chalice There is noe meane either must sinne be forsaken or thou thy selfe be giuen vp a prey to this eternall torment It is long since this sentence was pronounced which teacheth vs that we are either to doe pennāce in this life or eternally to burne in the next To auoyde these straytes and slipe away to the right or left hand is impossible Heauen and earth shall passe but the words of truth shall neuer passe If thou be not altogether blind and if the light of reason be yet with thee I doubt not but thou wilt make a happie choyce and to escape so dangerous a gulfe thou wilt cast thy selfe into the armes of grace and Diuine mercy which admites onely the penitent and repentant prodigalls goe then my deare soule vpon this thy holy resolution and begge of the Diuine clemencie that he would finishe his worke in thee and that he would bestow grace vpon thee to accomplish that which it hath made thee will and begin For vnlesse God build in vaine doth a man goe about to build and all that is not established vpon the fundation of his assistance cannot choose but be ruinous A sith to God XXVII O Great God who art a consuming fire whose words are fire and as a hammer brusing the hardest stones Who appeares in the burning bush when thou wilt giue a law of terrour and dreade vnto the world and sends that of loue in firie tongues whose Zeale is as burning as fire and whose lampes are fire and flames whose iealousie is strong as death and hard as Hell Who makes the fire of thy Diuine Iustice issue from amōgst the thornes to destroy the tallest Cedars of Libanus who kindlest the reprobate as coles with
hath their foule pleasures and abundance of wealth left them To what a low ebbe is their soaring ambition reduced Alas the extreamitie of their ioyes was followed with teares and gnashings of teeth which shall neuer haue end and out of their short delightes they are falleÌ„ into tormeÌ„ts rigourous beyond measure and long without end From the mouth of these two or three reprochlesse witnesses let vs draw this word of Truth that the vndoubted Eternitie of these paynes of Hell puts vpon them the seale or marke of Infinitie since one shall neuer see an end of their continuance or of their intiere consummation If I tooke as much content in filling pages as I precisely studie breuitie I might haue here a large feilde by giuinge my imagination leaue to run in those vulgaire similitudes or conceipts which giue to weaker witts slender Idea's of Eternitie so far forth as man's vnderstanding can reach But I omitt the litle immortall bird drawing dry the Ocean by drawing thence euery hundred thousand yeares one drope of water I leaue the number of the starrs of the leeues of trees the sands of the sea and all the Arithmetique of the most skilfull maisters at the end of its lyne and other the like conceipts which I blame not for the respect I beare to the great and deuoute personnages who did apprehend them fitting good and fruitfull not onely for the comon but most aduanced soules I will passe I say these thoughtes leauing them to each ones inuention as their gust or spirituall profit shall moue them For my part Athanasia I confesse vnto you simply and sincerely the hardnesse of my owne hart wherin they made but a weake impression Of the desperation of the damned XXXIII BVt in recompence hereof I was wonderfully moued with the consideration of the furious and inconceaueable despaire which the Sight of this horrible Eternitie of paines shall cause in the hartes of the damned And truly as the worme which eates the aple is bred in the selfe same fruite so shall this eternall despaire like to a gnawing worme issue out of the selfe same Eternitie whence it doth springe True it is that the torments which the damned shall suffer in all the members of their body and in all the faculties of their soule are extreame Yet the consideration that they shall neuer haue end adds another extreamitie to this extreamitie which passeth imagination and which will incite these accursed wretches fallen into a reprobate sense to open their mouth against HeaueÌ„ and to horrible blasphemies against God as much or more then the sense of their punishments And if the Prophete said that he would cry like a dragon and grone like an oâ—trige ouer the desperate and incurable wounds of Israel how much more terrible shall the how lings of the reprobate be animated with a spirit of despaire and rage in seeing their calamities voyde of all hope of redresse So that it is the opinion of ALBERT THE GREAT and DENIS THE CARTHVSIAN that this thought of Eternitie shall much more afflict them then all the paines of their tortures Which the great S. AVGVSTINE expresseth in these termes Being tormented without interruption or end they shall liue depriued of all hope of pardon all expectation of mercy wherin doth consiste the greatest of their calamities For if they could but hope that their torments would haue end after so many millions of yeares as all the creatures euen to the worlds end shall haue had haires on their head be this number as great and incredible as it will yet is it finite and this imaginatioÌ„ of an end would in some sort solace their sufferances But wheras there is no end proposed vnto them they giue themselues ouer to despaire and impatieÌ„ce doth double their paines This moued the Prophete to say that their worme shall not die and their fire shall neuer be extinguished neuer be consumed because this worme of despaire shall torture their vnderstandings while the flame burns their body being most reasonable that those who with body and soule offended an eternall God should be punished in body and soule and be adiudged vnto paines that should last as long as God should be God that is for euer Paines without intermission XXXIV THis so dreadfull despaire shall yet be augmented Athanasia by a consideration which I find no lesse singular then remarkable to wit that those paines shall not onely be eternall but also without intermission For the daÌ„ned shall not onely passe in an instant from one extreamitie to another and as IOB saith from frosen waters to deuouring fires but their tormeÌ„ts shall be continuall and continually in a point vnsufferable and without intermission at all No part of repose or abatement of paines are there to be hoped T' is a warre that shall neuer haue truce In the sufferances of this life be they neuer so great there is alwayes some moderation or place to breath in in that they stay not still in the same state As the heaueÌ„s doe incessantly rowle So all that is vnder those rowleing spheeres are obnoxious to changes and reuolutions The seasons doe continually change and continually renew the face of the vniuers The Moone increaseth and decreaseth The Sunne doth aduance it selfe or put it selfe in a greater distance from vs. The sea hath its ebb and flowing and the springs riuers and floods run day and night to find the Sea Man's age runs dayly to decay Kingdomes and Empires haue their tymes to florish and fade Deseases are lightned in that they come but by fits and by the hope we haue to end or mend In aduerse fortune we are comforted by expectation to find her fauorable The sharpest and most violent sicknesse hath its interualls qualifications Sleepe is the comon charme of greeues and often by its dreames it rayseth the condition of the most miserable for the space it continewes aboue the happines of the most happie But in Hell sleepe flyes from the ey-lids of the reprobate nor doth rest seiourne neere vnto them Their teares doe neuer dry vp their Ague is continuall and without intermission Without relaxatioÌ„ they dy in liuing without relaxation they liue in dying And if a rayne continuing for 40. dayes onely was able to drowne the whole world ô God what a Deluge of miseries shall choke those miserable soules vpon whom without release floods of fire and darts of furie and malediction shall showre downe And if things most aggreeable turne disagreeable by coÌ„tinuance in so much that the Manna a food no lesse delicious then miraculous became lothsome to the Israelites And if eating euery day the same dish makes vs loath the most toothsome and exquisite bit if wayes that ly through great plaines though otherwise faire and facile seeme tedious And if none would purchace the possession of a crowne vpon condition to ly without sturring in a most delicate and richly parfumed bed for the space of thirtie or fortie yeares What shall it
in the same measure And he that sowes in benedictions shall reape a plentuous crope of benedictions O centuple of this life how oft shalt thou be centupled in the life to come In those Diuine and celestiall Abodes called by the Scripture MANSIONS some are placed higher then others saith S. AVGVSTINE and doe behold God more clearely And S. GREGORIE speaking of the same subiect The great and litle saith he are in Glorie but they enioy it more or lesse according to the diuersitie of their merit Nor are we vpon this word Mansions to imagine to our selues separated Celles or Quarters a part in the heauenly Hierusalem where there is a perfect societie amongst the Blessed together with a Communitie of all good things each one reioyceing no lesse in anothers felicitie then in his owne all this holy Compainie hauing but one Soule and one Heart in God the one and onely Obiect of their desires But by that word saith S. THOMAS after S. AVGVSTINE we are to conceaue diuers degrees of Charitie and rewards which are had in this plentifull Rest where the Saintes doe reside for euer as in the happie repose of the LAND OF PROMISSE In what measure the beatified vnderstanding sees God in Heauen XLIX IT is no smale question Athanasia to know how far the vnderstanding fortified with the light of Glorie doth extend it selfe in the cōtemplation of the Diuine Essence which it beholds without all helpe of species or representation But the Angell of the schoole giues a worthy satisfaction to this holy curiositie in teaching vs that God according to IEREMIE being by reason of his infinitie incomprehensible to euery created thought can neuer be comprehēded by any vnderstāding with what euer light of Glorie they be adorned and assisted Because euery creature being bounded is not capable to comprehend an infinite Obiect Hence we haue that fine and necessarie distinction that the blessed shall see God All indeed but not totally they shall see him all because being most simple he cannot be seene but he is all seene But againe wheras he is infinite there nether is nor can be any capacitie out of himselfe which can totally comprehend him nor imbrace that immense Infinitie which is onely knowen of him selfe Wee haue some semblance of this Truth which cannot be seene vnlesse it be all seene and yet is it neuer totally seene though it be euen a limited creature and hath nothing comparable to the Creatour So doe the fish and fowles inioy the vast extent of the Sea and ayre yet what fish did euer swime in all the waters and what bird did euer with flight measure the ayres extent All this notwithstanding is possible because it is finite But the Diuinitie which is boundlesse cannot be totally seene For who did euer sound the depth of such an Abisse And who hath euer knowen the sense of our Lord Herein is discouered the impertinencie of AETIVS and ENNANIVS old Heretikes who affirmed that God could be comprehended by a creature as though forsooth an illimited thing could be shut vp within limites An impertinencie pertinently refuted by those great lightes of the Church S. BASILE S. GREGORIE OF NAZIANZENE S. CHRISOSTOME S. AVGVSTINE and after them by the Angelicall Doctor Yet this doth not impeach the full and intire satisfaction of the Blessed nor doth the naturall incapacitie which they find in thēselues to behold God totally any white vexe them yea contrariwise it doth augment their ioy and contentmēt which hath no other of-spring then the loue of God a loue of friendshippe which doth rather respect the greatnesse and glorie of the obiect beloued then it s owne interest what a pleasing rauishment shall possesse them to behold the most simple onely and incomposed simplicitie of that Diuine beautie which they contemplate all though not totally by reason of its incomprehensible infinitie In beholding it their desire is filled with euery good thing And beit they see it diuersly as we haue showen yet are they throughly content according to the comon similitude of a glasse wherof the least is as well filled with a litle as the greatest with much liquor And after the desire is saciated with the fruition of this ineffable Good with what an excesse of ioy are they taken to know that this adorable Deitie hath an infinite compainie of other graces and perfections still remayning to be seene relished which are not totally comprehēded nor knowen saue onely by himselfe Man doth then rayse himselfe aboue himselfe and liftes vp his heart But God greater then all hearts doth yet rise higher nor can he be encōpased by any other then himselfe in his full extent O how rauishing and admirable is that they behold And how good cause haue they to sing with the Angells the three Sanctuses to so dreadfull a Maiestie in so high a strayne that the Gates of Heauen shall tremble at it and to pronounce Thou art great and exceeding laudable ô Lord and who can worthily enough sing thy excellēces in thy sacred Citie in thy holy mountaines Though all creatures should ouerset themselues yea melt away in ioy and admiration yet shall they neuer arriue at the least of thyne infinite excellēcies Hence it is that the HYMNE of silence is the best suiting praise that can be offered vnto thee in thy Heauenly Sion Yet ô God how much more admirable is that which those soules doe not discouer in thee since it surpasseth all created vnderstandings euen strengthened with the light of Glorie And to what a violent paine would the desire of knowing thee totally and louing thee deseruedly that is infinitly put them vnto if thy sweete and fatherly prouidēce least the puritie of their inspeakable ioyes might be stayned with the mixture of any discontent did not change the knowledge they haue that they cannot totally comprehend and imbrace thee into a soueraigne delight that the glorious Obiect of their view and loue is so immense that it cannot be perfectly and intirely knowen and beloued but by thy selfe by reason of the Diuine infinitie of thyne infinite Diuinitie Meane while they draw from this great ALL as from an vndraynable fountaine all their comon and particular delightes diuersely glorious according to the diuersitie of the light of Glorie which is distributed vnto them wherby they see him more or lesse with proportion to their Charitie and merit We haue some darke resemblance of this here below in the vse of our Senses For is it not true that the same Picture is diuersely beholden according to the varietie of their opinions and skill that doe behold it Is not a daintie musike diuersely receaued into the eare of the hearer according as their organes are disposed and they are attentiue vnto it And to conclude this discourse with an excellent similitude The miraculous MANNA which pleased euery palate was doubtlesse of a diuerse relish to the Israelite yet neuer any of them nor ioyntly all of them felt euer all the tastes
whom we couet in the night of this life and we will runne in the odour of thy parfumes Receaue vs according to thy word to th' end we may liue in thee and of thee and confound vs not in our expectation which is wholy in thee our vnchāgeable felicitie and onely Eternitie A practise to engraue in our heart the memorie of Eternitie LXXIV IT is not all to sow Athanasia but the principale thing is to reape the crope The Theorie is faire like vnto RACHEL but yet barraine but the Practise is fertile like LIA though lesse agreeable in the eye It is not enough to make specious speculations vnlesse our actiōs doe answeare vnto them all is worth nothing yea they serue paraduentures to leade vs into ruine for the seruant that knowes the will of his Maister and doth it not shall be bett with many stripes All that say Lord Lord shall not enter into glorie but those that shall obserue the heauēly Fathers Commandements To enter into the Marriage of the Lambe it is not enough to haue the Lampes lighted but there must be oyle in them too Hell is full of the chaffe of good desires but the Granarie of Heauen receaues onely the wheate of good workes Let vs descend therfore to the Practise before we sound the retreate and let vs put the last singer to this DRAVGHT by spirituall endeauours wherby to imprint deeply in our heartes this wholsome memorie of Eternitie be it the Blessed accursed or Essentiall It is reported that the great TAMERLANE who in his tyme was the scourge of God and the terrour of the world was wont in Camping himselfe before a Towne which shut the Gates and resolued to withstand the dreadfull forces of his troopes to put out the first day of the Seige a white Bannar in signe of pardon mildnesse and mercy in case they should freely rēder themselues vp into his hands The second day he caused a reade one be hung out to signifie that in the cōposition some of them should pay for it But the third day he set out a black one as a signe of his indignatiō and to protest vnto them that there was no place left to Clemencie but that taking the Towne by force he would offer vp all the inhabitants victimes to DEATH without all respect to age or sexe These three colours Athanasia wherwith DRAVGHTES are made for ordinarily they are minuted vpon white paper with vermillion and blacke doe represēt vnto vs those three standarts and the reference which they haue to the three sorts of Eternities which I haue deciphered vnto you The white as the ground doth put before your eyes the Essentiall Eternitie which is the proper essence of God the eternall fundation of all created Eternitie If we deliuer our selues vp to his loue and milde Clemencie we may confidently expect from this so sweete a God to them that seeke him that white stone promised to the Elect in the Apocalipse which shall be a better marke of the reward of eternall saluation to such as haue whitened their soule in the blood of the Lambe The rede colour which conteynes light in it and is the colour of the Rose doth prefigure vnto vs the Blessed Eternitie where the Roses doe neuer fade and where the Elect behold the light of the Diuinitie in the light of Glorie But withall this bloodie colour doth intimate that none arriues at this Felicitie but by the price of the blood of the Lambe and that through the fire and water of many tribulations and sufferances They shall be saued according to the Apostle yet as by the fire of anguishes and labours But alas how nakedly doth the black colour a colour of mourning sadnesse and night represent that accursed Eternitie wherin are exteriour darknes without all hope of day where are gnashings of teeth and the rest of the Calamities which rudely and weakely we haue drawen O Athanasia to th' end that those bannars no lesse daunting then the Archangell's trūpet or rather to th' end that that which they represent may neuer depart out of our view and that this thought may not be blotted out of our soule make a full resolution to exercise your selfe in the ensuing Practises Sithens Habits are not begotten in vs according to all Philosophie but by often iterated Actes If your heart be truely touched with a desire of eternall saluation it will be like vnto the Saylers needle touched with a Loadstone which turnes continually towards the North so your thoughtes will incessantly direct themselues towards Eternitie now towards the Blessed now towards the Accursed now towards the essentiall this last imbracing the two former as the Firmament the inferiour Spheares And though the methode which I am about to propose vnto you to helpe to stay your mynd vpon this Obiect may seeme at the first sight verie simple I would aduise you not to dispise it for all that as did NAAMAN at first the aduise of the Prophete to wash himselfe seauen tymes in Iorden if he would be deliuered of his leprosie Call to mynd that the matter of the Sacramentes which are the instrumentes of Diuine graces is verie simple and common yet vnder the vaile of so slender appearances ly hid the infinite treasures of wisdome and Goodnes Why euen the Scripture it selfe sends vs to Pismires litle birds and flowres to gather from them profitable lessons and instructions Take then for your first PRACTISE if I may haue beleife with you that which hath brought a wonderfull profit to some soules of myne acquaintance to thinke as often of Eternitie as you heare the cloke strike night or day Let this sound put you in mynd that stepp by stepp you doe so approach to your end that by an insensible progresse you drawe neere your graue which ought to be the Gate of Eternitie And then soaring in spirit beyond transitorie things which doe vanish as a shade aspire to that blessed Eternitie not subiect to the measure of tyme which is the course of the Sunne or the PRIMVM MOBILE and say when shall my feete be established vpon the liuely Rocke that my stepps may no more slide and that the firmament being as a pauement I may walke vpon the face of the starrs This will come to passe my Athanasia if you doe carefully and duely manage the houres and moments of which we are about to speake and if while tyme serues you will doe good deedes which doe addresse and bring vs to Eternitie For the second PRACTISE take those three tymes The morning Noonetyde and Euening wherof DAVID makes mention saying In the euening morning and the midst of the day I was myndfull of God And to helpe your memorie be attentiue to the ANGELVS DOMINI BELL which doth admonish vs to recite three tymes the Salutation of the Angell in honour of the Misterie of the Incarnation of the Sonne of God and ioyne to this pious custome the memorie of Eternitie by thinking that the Immortall