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
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
with my God that being in me a Fountaine of water springing vp into life euerlasting it may cause in me merits to ascend thether wheras I hope to liue for euer Not without cause did the Son of God say If you then being naught knowe how to giue good guifts to your children Luk. 11 how much more will your Father in heauen giue the good spirit to them that aske him And he saith not that he will giue bread cloathes wisdome charity or life euerlasting but the good spirit for in it al things are conteyned Cease not then O my soule daily to admonish the Father of the promise of his son saying with great deuotion assured hope to obtaine O holy father not in mine owne iustification doe I pray vnto theâ— but in the promise of thy onely begotten Sonne For he hath said vnto vs How much more will your Father in heauen giue the good Spirit to them that aske him Surely thy Sonne is the Truth he deceaueth vs not Fuifill therefore the promise of thy Son who hath glorified thee vpon earth Ioh. 17 Phil. 2 and was obedient to thee vnto death euen the death of the Crosse Giue the good â—pirit to them that aske it of thee Giue the spirit of thy loue and feare that thy seruant may loue nothing but thee his neighbour in thee nor feare but onely to offend thee Create a cleane hart in me O God Psal 50 and renew a right 〈…〉 in my bowells Cast me 〈…〉 from thy face and thy holy spirit take not from me Render vnto me the ioy of thy saluation and confirme me with a principall spirit Now I come to the resemblance which Fountaines of water haue with God Cap. 6 for from them also may the minde be eleuated to consider his wonderfull workes And not without cause is God called in holy scripture A Fountaine of life Psal 35 Eccle. 1 And A Fountaine of liuing water And that he is the Fountaine of Being Hier. 2 We gather by these wordes of God to Moyses I am which am Exod. 3 he which is hath sent me to you All which the Apostle seemeth to haue included when he saith Act. 17 In him we liue and moue and be For in him we are as in a Fountaine of being In him we liue as in a Fountaine of life And in him we mooue as in a Fountaine of Wisdome Wisd 7 because Wisdome is more moueable then all moueable things reacheth euery where because of her cleannesse as it is said in the booke of Wisdome A fountaine of water with vs hath this propertie that Riuers spring from it and when they cease to flowe from their fountaine they are soone dried vp but the fountaine dependeth not of the riuers for it receaueth not water from them but from it selfe and giueth it vnto others This is a true resemblance of the diuinitie For God is the most true fountaine of Being because he receaued his Being from no other thing but all thinges receiued their being from him God receaued his being from no other thing because his essence is to be and his being is his existence so that it cannot be conceaued or caused but that God hath beene alwayes and alwayes shall be Other thinges may be for a time and for a time not be because existence doth not necessarily belong vnto their offence For example It belongeth to the essence of a man to be a reasonable creature and therefore he cannot be a man vnlesse he be a reasonable creature and if existence belonged also to the essence of a man he should then alwayes exist but because it belongeth not to his essence therefore hee may exist and not exist God then is the Fountaine of Being because his essence includeth actuall existence for euer as is signified by those wordes I am Which am Exod. 3 That is I am essence it selfe and receaue not my Being from any other thing for to me onely my essence is my existence Therefore eternitie and immortalitie is proper vnto God onely as the apostle saith To the king of the worldes immortall 1 Tim 1 1 Tim. 6 onely God And who onely hath immortalitie For all other things receaue in such sort their essence from God that vnlesse they doe alwaies depend one him and be preserued by him they presently cease to be Wherevpon the same Apostle saith Heb. 1 Who carieth all thinges by the word of his power Therefore O my foule admire and reuerence the infinite goodnesse of thy maker who maintaineth and preserueth all thinges so louingly although he needeth not their seruice Admire and Imitate also the patience of thy sayd maker who is so mercifull vpon the vnkinde and the euill Luke 6 that he feedeth and preserueth those which blaspheme him and deserue to be brought to nothing Let it not therefore seeme much vnto thee to beare sometimes with the infirmities of thy brethren and as thou art commanded to doe good to those that hate thee But the being a Fountaine doth not onely consist in not receauing being from an other Fountaine and in giuing being vnto other things For the water both of Fountaines and Riuers with vs is of the same kinde and albeit that fountaines receaue not their water from other fountaines yet they haue a cause of their being to wit vapours which also haue other causes successinely vntill we come vnto God the first cause But God thy maker my soule is not of the same kinde with creatures but infinitely surpasseth them in dignitie nobilitie and excellencie He also is truely and properly the Fountaine of Being because he doth not onely not receaue his being from an other fountaine of being but also for that he hath no cause at all A Fountaine of created water as is said is not deriued from any other water but from an other cause but the increated Fountaine of Being hath not my thing before himselfe dependeth not of any thing wanteth not any thing nor can he hurt by any thing but all thinges depend of him 2 Mach. 8 and he can Destroy the whole world with a becke as saith the valiant Machabaeus Admire this eminencie O my soule this beginning without beginning this Cause without Cause this essence that is infinite vnlimited immense and absolutely necessary in comparison wherof all other things are but casuall And of this perhappes the Truth said But one thing is necessary Luk. 10 Adhere therefore to him onely serue him onely and delight in his loue onely Despise all other thinges for his sake or els be not troubled with too much care about many thinges since one thing is necessarie which onely is enough for thee and al others but let thy care be neuer to fall from his grace studying alwaies and euery where how to please him God also is most truely called a Fountaine of life Cap 7 because he hath life in himselfe and is life eternall it selfe
He is the true God 1 Ioh. 5 and life eternall saith St. Iohn and all thinges that liue receaue life from that fountaine which when it shall cease to giue them life They shall fayle Psal 103 and shall returne into their dust as the holy Prophet Dauid saith It is proper vnto liuing creatures to beget their like God also begott a Sonne most like vnto himselfe Ioh. 5 For us the Father hath life in himselfe So he hath giuen to the Sonne also to haue life in himselfe as St. Iohn witnesseth in the Gospell But the Father hath life in himselfe because he is the fountaine of life and the Sonne hath life in himselfe because the Father hath giuen him the same life which he hath wherby the Sonne also is the fountaine of life yet the Fountaine of life of the Fountaine of life as God of God and light of light Who can declare or conceaue what the life of God is and what this Fountaine of life is from whence all thinges that liue in heauen or earth drawe drops of life The life which we in this banishmēt know is no other but The internall beginning of Motion For those things we say liue which mooue themselues after some manner And therefore the water of Riuers is commonly called running or liuing water because it seemeth to moue of it selfe And the water of Ponds standing or dead water For that it is not mooued but by the Windes or some other externall force Thy God O my soule most truely liueth and is the Author and Fountaine of life For often doth he in holy Scripture inculcate this saying Num. 14 Liue I saith our Lord And the Prophets often repeate The Lord liueth the Lord liueth And in Hieremie God complaineth of the people saying Hier. 2 They haue forsaken me the Fountaine of liuing Water and yet he is not moued either by himselfe or by any other I am God saith he and am not changed And againe Hier. 16 Malae 3 Num. 23 God is not as the sonne of Man that he may be changed We sing also very often in the ecclesiasticall hymne O God which dost preserue the strength of things thy selfe being vnmoueable dost successiuely diuide the day and night c. So that if God beget a sonne he begetteth him without mutation and if he see heare speake loue pardon or iudge he doth all without mutation And if he create and preserue or destroy and dissipate and againe renue and change yet he worketh resting and changeth without being changed How then doth he liue if he moue not And how doth he not liue if he be the Fountaine and author of life This knot is easily vntyed For to liue it is absolutely enough that the thing which liueth worke of it selfe and be nor moued by an other But life for the most part in Creatures is the Internall beginning of motion because Creatures are vnperfect haue need of many things to performe the actions of life But God is Infinite perfection and hath neede of nothing without himselfe and therefore he worketh of himselfe and is not moued by any other Creatures neede mutation to ingender and be ingendred because they ingender without themselues and the thing ingendred must be changed from a not being to a being But God begot a sonne within himselfe And within himselfe produceth the holy ghost neither ought the Son or the holy Ghost to be changed from a not being to a being because they receaue that being which was alwaies and they receaue it not in time but from eternitie Creatures need the Motion of Augmentation because they are borne vnperfect but God the Sonne is borne most perfect and God the Holy ghost is breathed and produced most perfect Creatures need the motion of alteration to attaine diuers qualities which they want but God wanteth nothing for his essence is of infinite perfection Creatures neede locall motion because they are not euery where but God is wholy euery where Moreouer Creatures need many things to see heare speake and worke because their life is poore and vnperfect but God needeth nothing without himselfe to see all heare all speake to all and to worke all For he as is said is life it selfe and the Fountaine of life And that we may put an example in ihe action of seeing A man to see needeth a seeing power which is distinct from the soule which properly seeth he needeth an obiect that is a coloured body distant from him he needeth the light of the Sunne or of some other bright body he needeth a Medium that is a perspicuous body he needeth a sensible Species or forme to be caried from the obiect to the eye he needeth a corporall orgā to wit an eye furnished with humors fleshy tunicles he needeth sensitiue spirits and opticke synowes by which those spirits must passe he needeth a proportionable distance And lastly he needeth the Application of the seeing powre or facultie Behold how many thinges men and other liuing Creatures want to performe one action of life But God who truely hath all life in himselfe needeth nothing His infinite essence doth include power forme obiect light and all other things God of himselfe by himselfe and in himselfe seeth all thinges which are haue bin or shall be and euedently knoweth all thinges which may be And before the world was made God sawe all things so that by the creation of things there came nothing but was before knowne vnto him What then shalt thou be my soule when thou shalt partake of that life Is it much that God commandeth thee when he would haue thee spend this corporall animall poore and vnperfect life for himselfe and thy brethren to obtaine life eternall And if he commaund not much when he commandeth this life to be contemned how light and little ought it seeme to thee when he commandeth thee to bestowe thy dead riches vpon the poore to abstayne from lust to renounce the Deuill and his pompes and with true deuotion of hart to sigh after that life which onely is true life But it is time now to Ascend as we may vnto the Fountaine of Wisdome Cap. 8 A Fountaine of Wisdome the word of God on high saith Ecclesiasticus Eccle. 1 And he saith On high because the Fountaine of Wisdome doth plentifully flowe vpon the holy Angels and blessed soules in heauen but vnto vs that inhabite this Desert and Pilgrimage Wisdome her selfe descendeth not but a certaine vapour or shadow thereof Wherefore my soule seeke not after higher thinges then beseemeth thee Prou. 25 Doe not search the Maiestie least thou be oppressed of the glory Admire his Wisdome of whom the Apostle speaketh Rom. 16 To God the onelywise Congratulate those blessed spirits which drinke of the fountaine of Wisdome And although they doe not comprehend God which onely is proper vnto God yet they beholde the face of God without Vtyle or interposition and being irradiated
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
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
why haue you done this And when the Angell of our Lord spake these wordes to all the Children of Israell they lifted vp their voyce and wept Aâ—d the name of that place was called the place of Weepers or of teares and there they immolated hoastes to our Lord. And that it was a great and generall lamentation and a signe of true repentance the 〈◊〉 name giuen to that place beareth perpetuall record For it was called the place of Weepers or of teares What shall I say of the Prophets They euery where teach and proclaime that God desireth not the death of sinners but that they would be conuerted and liue Ezech 18 Hier 3 It is commonly said saith God by Hieremy if a man put away his wife and she departing from him marry another man will he returne to her any more But thou hast committed fornication with many louers Neuerthelesse returne vnto me saith our Lord and I will receiue thee And by Ezechiell Ezech 33 Thus you haue spoken saying Our iniquities and our sinnes are vpon vs and in them wee fade away How then can wee liue Say to them liue I saith our Lord God I will not the death of the Impious but that the impious conuert from his way and liue Conuert conuert yee from your most euill wayes and why will you dye O house of Israell But to omit the wicked none can expresse the more then fatherly or motherly loue which our Lord sheweth to those that feare and hope in him Dauid in the Psalmes saith Psal 102 According to the height of Heauen from Earth hath he strengthned his mercy vpon them that feare him And after As a Father hath compassion of his Children so hath our Lord compassion on them that feare him And againe The mercy of our Lord from euerlasting and vnto euerlasting vpon then that feare him And in another place Tast yee and see that our Lord is sweet Psal 33 Blessed is the man that hopeth in him And againe Psal 72 How good is God to Israell to heÌ„ that are of a right heart That is who can expresse the great goodnesse mercy and sweetnesse of God vnto righteous soules Isay 49 God also faith by Esay Can a Woman for gether Infant that she will not haue pitty on the Sonne of her wombe And if she should forget yet will not I forget thee And â—teremy in his Lamentations Lamen 3 Our Lord is my pâ—rtion said my soule thâ—refore will I exâ—cct him Our Lord is good to them that hope in him to the Soule that secketh hâ—m It is good to waite wâ—h silence for the saluation of God If I should set downe moreouer what the Apostles say in their Epistles of the loue of God towardes the righteous I should neuer make an end Let that stand for all which St. Paul hath writ in the beginning of his last Epistle to the Corinthians 2 Cor. 1 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ the Father of mercyes and God of all comfort who comforteth vs in all our tribulation That wee also may be able to comfort them that are in all distresse Hee saith not God is a comforter but most full of all comfort Nor that hee comforteth vs in some tribulation but in all tribulation Nor that wee may bee able to comfort them that are in some distresse but in all distresse So that hee could not more sett forth the mercy of God to those whome hee loueth and by whome he is beloued But to conclude it shall not bee amisse to set downe the wordes of St. Prosper in which he declareth the mercy of God not onely to the righteous but also to the wicked to make them righteous Lib 2 de voc gentium c. 26 Gratia omnibus iustificationibus principaliter praeeminet c. Grace saith he doth chiefly excell all iustifications by perswading with exhortations by admonishing with examples by terrifying with dangers by incyting with miraclet by giuing vnderstanding by inspiring counsaile by illuminating the heart and induing it â—ith the affections of faith But â—â—t mans will is toâ—red and adioyned thereunto Which therefore is inciteâ—s by the former helpâ—s that it shâ—uld coop rate wâ—th the diuine worke in it selfe and bâ—gin to vse for merite what from heauenly seede it conceiued fâ—r exercise proceeding from selfe inconstancy if it decay and from the assistance of grace if it increase which assistance is giuen vnto all by innumerable wayes either secret or manifest and that it is refused of many proceedeth from their wickednesse But that it is receiued of many is a worke of Gods grace and mans will Thus he Goe too now my soule Cap. 4 if thy maker bee so Sweete and mercifull suffering Sinners with incredible benignitie to conuert them and comforting the righteous that they may increase the more in vertue Oughtest not thou to beare meekely with thy neighbours and to become All thinges to all men 1 Cor. 9 that thou maist gaine all vnto thy Lord God Thanke with thy selfe to what high excellency the Apostle doth exhort theâ— when he saith â—phâ— 5 Be yee therefore followers of God as 〈…〉 deare Children And walke 〈◊〉 Loue as Christ also loued vs and deliuered himselfe fâ—r vs an oblation and hoast to God in an odour of sweetnesse Imitate God the Father who maketh his Sunne to rise vpon good and bad Mat 5 and raineth vpon iust and vniust Imitate God the Son who taking humane Nature spared not his owne life to deliuer vs from the power Of darknesse and eternall damnation Imitate God the holy Ghost who infuseth plentifully his most precious guiftes into vs to make vs being carnall to become spirituall THE SIXT STEPP From the Consideration of the Fire THe Element of Fire is so pure and noble Cap. 1 that God himselfe would be called fire as Moses and St. Paul witnes saying Our Lord is a consuming Fire Deut 4 Heb 12 And when God first appeared vnto Moses hee appeared in a flame of Fire burning a bush and not consuming it Exod 3 Our Lord appeared saith Moses in aflame of Fire out of the midst of a bush And he saw that the bush was on fire and was not burnt And when the same God came to giue the Law vnto the people hee came in the forme of fire For so speaketh Moses Exo. 19 All the Mount Sinai smoaked For because our Lord was descended vpon it in Fire According to the similitude of which mistery when as the new Law was to bee promulged the holy Ghost appeared vnto the Apostles in fiery tongues Act. 2 Those spirits also which are most neare to God in Heauen are called Seraphins that is to say Fiery because they are more inflamed with the Fire of Diuine Loue then other Angells Which being so it is not a thing difficult for vs from the element of Fire and the nature and properties thereof to frame