will be so in his old age Of these and such like coniectures which are found amongst the Doctours of the Church hee that is such an one may with humility assure himselfe of the infinite goodnes of God that he is one of the number of the Elect. For as he hopeth in the infinite goodnes of God to be saued so hee may humbly presume that he is one of their number who are to be saued seeing that the one doth presuppose the other Which seeing that it is so I pray thee consider with thy selfe ô man with how great a pledge the Lord doth hold thee bound vnto him for this vnmeasurable benefit that is that thou art written in that booke of the which our Redeemer sayth to his Apostles In this reioyce not that the spirits are subdued vnto you but rather reioyce because your names are written in the booke of life How vnmeasurable therefore is this benefit to be loued and to be elected from that eternity from which God was God To rest in his most sweet breast euen from the beginning of all eternity To be accounted for the adopted sonne of God then when his naturall sonne was begotten in the glory and splendour of all the Saints who were present in his diuine vnderstanding Consider therefore dilligently all the circumstances of this election and thou shalt see euery one of them to be singuler very great benefits and also to bring new bonds and obligations with them Consider first the dignity of him who hath elected thee who himselfe is God happy and infinitely rich who neyther needeth thine nor any mans riches else Consider how vnworthy he is who is elected if thou considerest his nature and quality for he is a miserable and mortall creature subiect to all the infirmities miseries and pouerty of this life guiltie of hell fire both for an other mans and also for his owne sinne Thirdly marke how excellent the election it selfe is after that thou art elected to an end so high then the which a greater cannot be that is that thou mayest be made a sonne of God an heire of his kingdome and a pertaker of his glory Consider fourthly how free this election is when it is as wee haue sayd before any merrit of thine of the onely lyking and ordinance of the diuine will and as the Apostle sayth for the glory and praise of the bounty and fauour of God But a benefit the freer it is the more it doth hold a man bound Fiftly the antiquity of this election is to be looked vnto for it did not begin when the world was made but it is much more auncient then the world it selfe yea it is of the same age with God himselfe who as he is from euerlasting so he loueth his elect from euerlasting and loueth them still and will loue them for euer whom he beholdeth with his fatherly eyes and those truly fauoring being alwayes mindfull to what an excellent good he hath ordayned and predestinated them Sixtly the rarenes of this benefit is to be considered after that among so many nations of barbarous men in such a multitude of the damned the Lord would call thee to so happy an estate that thou shouldest be in the number of them which are elected to eternall life And therefore he seperated thee from the masse of the corruption of mankind condemned for sinne out of the leauen of corruption hath changed thee into Angels food In this consideration few things are found that may be written but many things that may be considered of in the minde that thou mayest be thankfull to the Lord for the perticularity of this benefit which is so much the more by how much the number of the elect is lesser and the number of those greater that are to be damned which number as Salomon sayth is infinite But if none of these things doe moue thee at the least let the greatnes of the costs and charges moue thee which the most bountifull Lord determined to make by reason of this benefit as are the life of his onely begotten sonne and his blood shed in the cause of this benefit as who had determined from euerlasting to send him into this world that he might be the executor of this determination Which seeing that it is so can there be any time long enough and sufficient to consider of so great mercy of God What tongue can euer vtter it sufficiently What hart can perfectly feele and tast it To be briefe by what duties can he recompence it And with what loue can man answere vnto this diuine loue Who will be so ingratefull that will refuse now at the length to loue him of whom hee hath beene beloued from all eternity Who will change him for any other friend For seeing that in the holy Scriptures an auncient friend is so highly praysed and had in great estimation who would change the possession and fauour of this most auncient friend with all the friends of the world And if the possession of a thing time out of minde doth giue authority and right to him that in deede hath no right vnto it what shall this eternall possession doe by which the Lord doth possesse vs that by the title of this friendship we may be reputed his By these it is manifest that no good may be found in the world which is to be changed with this good neyther that there are any such great euils which are not to be borne for the loue of this good Who I pray thee can be so dull blockish and inconsiderate that being taught by diuine reuelation that some begger which daily in the streetes from dore to dore doth seeke his bread is predestinate of God after this maner would not kisse the earth whereon he treadeth with his feete Would not giue place vnto him And bending his knees with great humility would not wish well vnto him and gratulate him with these words ô thou happy and blessed man art thou one of the blessed number of the elect Shalt thou reioyce in that happy company of Angels Shalt thou sing that heauenly musicke Shalt thou possesse that euerlasting and eternall kingdome Shalt thou contemplate and view that bright and glorious shining face of Christ O happy is that day in which thou wast borne but much more happy is that day in which thou shalt dye to the world for then thou shalt begin to liue an eternall and immortall life Happy is the bread with which thou art fed happy is the earth which thou treadest vpon for that doth carry an incomparable treasure Blessed are the tribulations which thou sufferest and the neede which doth presse thee Because they doe open a way to thee which leadeth to eternall life What cloude of calamities or tribulations shall be so thicke which will not vanish and be expelled at so great hope These and such like are the words with which wee would moue and perswade any man whom we knew certainly to
acknowledge the effects of the Diuine iustice For as no man can denie but that it is a great blessing of GOD to preserue a man from sinne so it is a great punishment and a notable token of wrath when God permitteth that a man falleth into sinne So we reade in the second booke of the Kings that the wrath of the Lord was kindled against Israell therefore he moued or permitted Dauid to fall into the sin of pride when he commaunded Israell to be numbred In Ecclesiasticus also when as many sinnes had been remembred he addeth A mercifull man shall be deliuered from them all and he shall not wallow in them For euen as one the one part the increase of vertue is a reward of vertue so not sildome it is a punishment of sin that God punisheth sinne with sinne or that God suffereth other sinnes to be done and committed So we see that that great punishment was no other which was inflicted for the greatest wickednes in the world that is for the death of our Sauiour then that which the Prophet denounceth against the workers of it saying Lay iniquitie vpon theyr iniquitie and let not them come into thy righteousnes that is to the keeping of thy cōmaundements And what followeth The same Prophet straightwayes after telleth and expoundeth himselfe Let them be put saith he out of the booke of life neither let them be written with the righteous If therefore the punishment be so great and the tokens of Gods wrath so notorious that he punisheth sinnes with sinnes how is it that thou seest not so great arguments of the Diuine iustice amongst so many kinde of sinnes with which this world now in this age doth flow and swell If so it pleaseth thee cast thine eyes about after the manner of them who are in the midst of the maine Ocea to whom nothing is seene but the sea and heauen as the Poet sayth and scarcely thou shalt see any other thing besides sinnes and thou seeing so many sinnes wilt thou not see the Diuine iustice Doost thou not see water beeing in the midst of the Sea Yes certainly And if all the worlde be a Sea of sinnes what els shall it be but a sea of the Diuine iustice It is not needfull that I should descend into hell and there see how the Diuine iustice rageth it suffiseth that I onely behold it in thys world But if thou wilt be blinde and see nothing that is without thee at least looke into thy selfe For if thou beest endangered with sinne thou art within the reach of the Diuine iustice and as long as thou liuest secure vnder it so long art thou endangered and so much the more perrillous is thy danger by how much longer thou hast beene endangered with it So Saint Augustine liued some-times in this most wretched estate as he testifieth of himselfe saying I was drowned in the Sea of my sinnes and thy wrath had preuailed against me and I knewe not I was made deafe with the noyse of the chaines of my mortality and of thy wrath and the ignorance of my fault was the punishment of my pride Wherefore if God punish thee with this kind of punishment permitting thee to lie drowned in the deepe sea of sinnes and so to blindfolde thee in the midst of thine iniquities what doost thou speake of a thing so contrary to thy selfe Let him speake and make his boast of the mercy of God who is worthy of mercy and let him that is punished with the iustice of the Lord speake of iustice Doth the mercy of God so patiently permit thee to liue in thy sinnes and will it not permit thee that at length thou fall into hell O that thou wouldest be wise and know how short the way is that leadeth from the fault to the punishment and from grace to glorie What great thing is it for a man in the state of grace to ascend into heauen and what maruell is it if a sinner descend into hell Grace is the beginning of glory and sin of hell hell is the reward of it Furthermore what is more horrible fearfull then when as the paines of hell are so intollerable as before we haue sayde yet neuerthelesse God permitteth the number of the damned to be so great and the number of the elect so few How small the number of these is least thou shouldest suppose that it is a deuise of mine owne hee himselfe telleth vs who numbereth the multitude of the starres and calleth them all by their names Who trembleth and quaketh not at those words which are knowen to all but eyther ill vnderstood or sildome called to remembrance For when as certaine had asked Christ said Lord are there but fewe that shall be saued he aunswered Enter in at the straite gate for it is the wide gate and broade way that leadeth to destruction many there be which goe in thereat Because the gate is strait and the way narrow that leadeth vnto life few there be that finde it Who would haue vnderstood this in these words that our Sauiour vnderstood if simply he had spoken it not with an exclamation and an emphasis O how strait is the gate and narrow the way The whole world perished in the waters of the deluge onely eyght persons were saued which as Saint Peter testifieth in his Canonicall Epistle was a signe by vvhich is signified how small the number is that is saued if they be cōpared with the number of those that are damned Sixe hundred thousand men the Lord brought out of Egipt into the wilderdernes that he might bring them into the promised Land besides women and chyldren who were not numbred in thys iourney they were many thousand wayes helped of the Lord notwithstanding by their sinnes they lost thys Land which the Lord of his grace and fauour had promised them and so of so many hundred thousand men onely two entred into that promised Land Which almost all the Doctors doe thus interpret that by it the multitude of the damned is insinuated and the paucity of those that are to be saued that is That many are called and few chosen For this cause not sildome in the sacred Scripture the righteous are called Iemmes or precious stones that thereby might be signified that theyr rarenes is as great in the world as precious stones be and by as great a quantitie as other stones exceed precious stones by as great the number of the wicked exceedeth the number of the righteous which Salomon closely insinuateth when he sayth That the number of fooles is infinite Tell me then if the number of the righteous be so small vvhich both the figure the truth testifie to be true when thou seest by the iust iudgement of GOD that so many are depriued of that felicity to which they were created why doost thou not feare that common danger and that vniuersall deluge If the number were
tast that which being tasted bringeth death Hence it is that those beasts in Ezechiell which are the figures of holy men were full of eyes round about that thereby might be signified howe necessary these spirituall eyes are for the seruants of GOD that they may defend themselues from vices Therefore of this remedy we will in this tractate especially entreate to which we will also adioyne all others which seeme to bring any profit as shall be more plainly seene in the discourse following Of the remedies against Pryde CHAP. IIII. WE handling in thys former part sinnes the remedies of them will take our beginning from those seauen which are called capitall as it were the heads and fountaines of all other For euen as the rootes of trees beeing cut vp the boughes branches which receiue life from the rootes doe foorth-with wither and perish so those seauen generall vniuersall rootes of all other vices beeing hewen in sunder and vtterly eradicated suddenly also the vices will dye which are deriued from them For this cause Cassianus with great diligence writ eyght bookes against these vices in which kinde of studie many other learned and graue men haue imitated him 〈◊〉 they did see that these enemies being ouerthrowne others could not lift vp their heads The reason of this is because all sinnes doe originally flow from selfe-loue because euery one of them is committed through the loue desire of some particuler good to desire which this selfe-loue pricketh vs forwards From this loue those three branches do spring of which S. Iohn speaketh in his Canonicall Epistle which are The lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life Which that I may expresse them by more known names are the loue of carnall delights pleasures and the loue of riches and honours These three loues are deriued from that first For from the loue of pleasure three sins are engendered Luxurie Gluttony Idlenes From the loue of riches Couâ—tousnes ariseth and from the loue of honour Pride The other two Wrath and Enuye serue each one of these peruerse corrupt loues For Wrath proceedeth thence that a man cannot obtaine that he desireth and Enuye thence that any one is preferred before vs or that any one hath obtayned that we desired Seeing therefore that these three are as the vniuersall rootes of all euils from which all these seauen sinnes proceede these seauen beeing destroyed the whole Armie of other vices shall be ouerthrowen Therefore all our studie ought to be to thys end that we fight valiantly against these Gyants if we will tryumph ouer all other enemies who possesse the Land of Promise Among these vices Pryde is the most powerfull which is an inordinate appetite of our owne excellencie The Saints doe call this the Mother and Queene of all other vices Wherefore not without cause amongst many other instructions holy Toby said to his sonne Suffer not pride to raigne in thine hart or in thy mouth for in pride destruction tooke her beginning Therefore when as this pestilent beast doth assault thy hart thou maist defend thy selfe with the weapons following Consider first that horrible punishment with which Lucifer and his Angels are punished because they were proude for in a moment in the twinckling of an eye hee with his Angels was cast from the highest heauen downe to the deepest hell See 〈◊〉 darke and blinde this vice made him who was more cleâ—â—â—n the starres who not onely was an Angell but the Prince of Angels but now is made not onely a deuill but the wickedst and the filthiest of all deuils If it could doe so much in Angels what can it not doe in thee who art dust and ashes For God is not contrary to himselfe neyther is hee an accepter of persons and as he suffered not pryde in Angels so also in men it dooth displease him in whom he looketh for humilitie Hence it is that Saint Augustine saith Humilitie maketh men like vnto holy Angels pride of Angels maketh deuils And that I may speake plainly Pride is the beginning end cause of all sinnes because it is not onely a sinne but that no sinne is or hath been or shall be without it This saith he And Bernard saith Pride casteth downe from heauen to hell Humilitie rayseth from the lowest place to the highest an Angell falleth froÌ„ the loftiest height to the lowest pitte and man ascendeth from out the world to heauen Then with this punishment let vs consider of the inestimable example of the humility of the sonne of God who for vs tooke vpon him the most abiect nature of man and for vs in like manner was obedient to his father euen to the death of the Crosse. Learne therfore ô man to be humble learne ô earth to obey learne ô dust to be despised Learne ô man of thy God for he is meeke and humble in spirit If it seemeth not honorable inough vnto thee to imitate the example of other men imitate the example of the God of Gods who became man not only that he might redeeme vs but also that he might teach vs humility Cast thine eyes also vpon thy selfe for in thy selfe thou shalt finde that may perswade humility Consider what thou wast before thou wast borne what thou art now being borne and what thou shalt be after death Before thou wast borne thou wast filthy and obscene matter not worthy to be named now thou art dung couered ouer with snow and a while after thou shalt be meate for wormes Why then art thou proud ô man seeing that thy natiuity is sinne thy life misery and thine end putrefaction and corruption If the possession of temporall goods doe puffe thee vp stay a while and death will come who maketh the begger equall with the King and the cottage with the crowne For as we are all borne alike and equall as much as pertayneth to the condition of nature so we all dye alike and equall by reason of the common necessity that being excepted that after death they haue the greater count to render who here haue possessed more Wherfore Chrisostome sayth excellently well Looke into the Sepulchers of the dead seeke amongst them for tokens and notices of that magnificence in which they â—â—ned seeke and enquire for their riches seeke for the solaces of this world which they enioyed whilst they liued Tell me where are now their ornaments their precious and costly apparell their delights and pleasures they are all past away all gone all their magnificent and riotous banquets laughters sports and all the mirth of this world is faded and vanished away Come neerer to the Sepulcher of whom so euer thou wilt and thou shalt find no other thing here but dust ashes wormes and putrified bones Here then is an end of all bodies yea although fed and nourished with the greatest delicates and dainties of the world And I would to God that here were an end of
and establish this question and matter vnlesse also the contrarie arguments and obiections bee refuted therefore the third part of this Booke is occupied and conuersant in ouerthrowing and confuting them in which we plentifully aunswere all the excuses and obiections which are wont to be alledged of naughtie men why they doe flie and eschew Vertue Because the matter and subiect of these two Bookes is Vertue wee would not haue the Reader to be ignorant that by this word Vertue we barelie or solely vnderstand the habite of Vertue but also her actions and duties to the which that noble habit is ordered and disposed because the Figure is very well knowne that the effect is signified by the name of the cause the cause by the name of the effect THE FIRST BOOKE OF THE SINNERS GVIDE In which is contayned a large and copious exhortation to keepe Gods commaundements THE FIRST TITLE That man is bound to seeke after Vertue and to serue GOD and of the excellencie of the Diuine perfection CHAP. I. TWO things chiefely Christian Reader are wont to mooue and stirre vp the will of man to any good action One is the bond by which we are bound to iustice the other is the profit and fruite which proceedeth issueth of this action For it is the iudgement of all wisemen that these two things are to be considered of in euery matter and action to wit Honestie and Profit which are as it were the two spurres of our Will which pricke it forward and encourage it to take any action in hand Of these two although for the most part Profit is more sought after and desired yet Honestie is more effectuall and powerfull For there is not any profit or commoditie to be found in this world although it be great which may compare with the excellencie of Vertue as also there is no losse or discōmoditie so great or grieuous which a wise man ought not rather to choose then to runne into anie vice as Aristotle auerreth Seeing therefore that it is our purpose and meaning in this Booke to inuite men to the loue of Vertue and to ensnare them with the beautie of it I take it that we shall doe very well if we begin of this more principall part declaring the bond by which we stand bound to Vertue and therefore to God himselfe also who seeing that he is goodnes it selfe doth commend nothing in this world doth desire nothing doth not account any thing precious but onely Vertue Therefore with great care and diligence let vs consider those iust titles and claimes which God hath to demaund and exact this so great debt and bond of vs. But seeing that they be innumerable wee will onely induce sixe of the chiefest euery one of which seuerally do binde man with out any excuse to him in whatsoeuer he can or may The first and greatest and which can lesse be declared or expressed is to be him that he is to which is referred the greatnes of his Maiestie and all his perfections Hetherto pertaine the incomprehensible magnitude of his goodnes mercy iustice wisedom infinite power noblenes beautie faithfulnesse truth benignitie happines maiestie and the other riches and perfections that be in him which are such and so immeasurable that as a certaine famous Doctor saith if the whole world were ful of bookes and all creatures Writers and all the water of the Sea ynck first all the bookes should be filled first all the Writers should be wearied and first all the Sea should be exhausted and drawne drie then one alone of his perfections should be described absolutelie and as it is in deede and in it selfe The same Doctor also saith if God should create a newe man and should giue vnto him a hart so ample capable and spacious as are all the harts of men ioyned and mixed together if that hart should apprehend with an immeasurable and vnusuall light the qualitie and quantitie of one of these perfections it would faint die or breake in peeces by reason of the greatnes of that ioy and pleasure which should redound to it except it were preserued by the singuler power of GOD. This therefore is the first the most equall and iust reason by which we are bound to loue God and to serue obey him who is truth it selfe in so high a degree that the very Epicures themselues who are the ouerthrowers and destroyers of all Philosophy for they denie the diuine prouidence and the immortalitie of soules doe not denie that there is a Religion which is the worship and adoration of God For one of them disputing in that Booke which Tully writ of the nature of the Gods confesseth and prooueth very strongly that there is a God and also he acknowledgeth the altitude of his admirable and wonderfull perfections and for them he saith that he is to be worshipped adored and reuerenced for this is due to the greatnes and excellencie of this most noble substance Therefore he is to bee worshipped by that name and title onely if hee had not anie other For if we honour and reuerence a King for the onely dignitie of his presence although hee be without his kingdome where we receiue no benefit by him why rather should we not giue and exhibite all honour and reuerence to this Lord who as Iohn testifieth hath written vpon his garment and vpon his thigh The King of Kings and Lord of Lords It is he that with his three fingers doth beare vp the round Globe of the earth doth dispose of causes moueth the heauens it is he that changeth times altereth the elements diuideth the waters bringeth forth the windes engendereth causes giueth influence to the Planets and as an vniuersall King and Lord doth nourish and sustaine all creatures That also is of greater moment that his kingdom is not by succession or by election or by inheritance but by nature For euen as a man naturally is greater thē a Pismier so that most noble substance in greatnes doth far excell all other things created insomuch that euery thing whatsoeuer it be and the whole vniuersall world in his eyes haue scarce the quantitie and bignes of an Emmot If that vnhappy Philosopher acknowledged and confessed this truth why shall not Christian phylosophy acknowledge and confesse it This therefore teacheth that although there be many titles and names by which wee are bound to God yet this that we now entreate of doth excell them all the which is of such weight valuation that if there were no other this alone deserueth all the loue and seruice of man yea though he had infinite and innumerable soules and bodies which might attend and waite vpon his worship and loue That alwaies hath beene the care and studie of the Saints whose loue were so pure and sincere that of it S. Bernard saide Pure loue doth not take strength from hope and yet feeleth not the hurt of distrust As if hee
vertuous CHAP. XIIII THis fatherly prouidence of the which we haue spoken a little before is as we haue sayde as it were the fountaine and originall of all other priuiledges and benefits with which God enricheth and beautifieth his friends in this world For to this prouidence it pertayneth to prouide them of all necessaries to the obtaining of the last end which is the last perfection and blessednes by helping them in all their needes and by creating in their mindes all aptnes disposition vertue other habits which are requisite vnto that end Of the number of these the first is the grace of the holy Ghost which next to that diuine prouidence is the originall beginning of all other priuiledges and celestiall gyfts Thys was the first robe with which the prodigall childe was clothed after he was receiued into his Fathers house If thou demaundest of me what this grace is I answere that this grace according to Diuines is a participation of the Diuine nature that is of sanctitie goodnes puritie and of the noblenesse of God himselfe by whose helpe benefit man doth cast from him all the basenes vildnes and rudenes which hee tooke and receiued from Adam and is made partaker of holinesse and of the Diuine noblenesse putting off himselfe and putting on Iesus Christ. The Fathers show this by the example of yron cast into a fire which remaineth yron still yet pertaking of the nature of fire it is pulled out altogether shyning glowing as though it were fire in deede I say that the same substance of yron remaineth with the name but the heate the splendour or shyning and all other accidents are not of the yron but of the fire After the same manner grace which is an heauenly qualitie which God infuseth into the soule hath that admirable vertue and effecacie that it transformeth man into God after this manner that still remaining a man yet hee is made a partaker of the Diuine puritie and noblenesse as he was a partaker who said I doe not now liue but Christ lyueth in me Furthermore Grace is a supernaturall forme and diuine which maketh that a man leades a life cōformable to the forme from which it proceedeth which also is supernatural diuine In which thing after an admirable manner shineth the Diuine prouidence which as it willeth that man should liue a double life naturall and supernatural so hath it prouided for the same a double forme which are as it were the two soules of these lifes one by which we liue this first life another by which we liue the other For euen as from the soule which is the naturall forme all the powers and sences doe proceede by whose help we liue this naturall life so from grace which is the supernaturall forme al vertues and gyfts of the holy Ghost doe proceede by the benefit of which we liue a supernaturall life Therefore this is as the prouision of two kinde of instruments by helpe of which we labour in diuers exercises Grace is also a spirituall ornament of the soule wrought by the handes of the holy Ghost which dooth make the soule so beautifull and so acceptable in the eyes of God that he receaueth it for his daughter and for his Bride Of this ornament the Prophet glorieth saying I will reioyce in the Lorde and my soule shall be glad in my God because he hath put vpon me the vesture of saluation he hath couered me with the garment of righteousnes as a Bridegrome adorned with a crowne and as a Bride decked vvith Iewells Which are all vertues with all the gyfts of the holy Ghost with which the soule is adorned at the hands of GOD. Thys is that golden vesture wrought about with great variety with which the Queene was clothed who stoode before the King her Spouse for from grace all the colours of all vertues celestiall habits doe arise in which the beautie of the Queene consisteth Of these it is easily gathered what be the effects which grace worketh in those soules wherein it dwelleth For the speciall effect of it is to make a soule so acceptable and beautifull in the eyes of God that hee taketh her to be his daughter his spouse his temple his dwelling in which he enioyeth his delights with the sonnes of men An other effect of it is not onely to adorne the soule but also to strengthen it with those vertues which proceede from it Which are as the haires of Sampson in which consisted not onely his beautie but also his strength As well from this as from the former effect of grace the soule is praised in the Canticles where the Angels admiring the beautie of it say Who is shee that looketh foorth as the Morning faire as the Moone pure as the Sunne terrible as an Armie with banners Wherby we know that Grace is as a shield couering the whole body or as a complete Armor which armeth a man from the head to the foote and maketh him beautifull and valiant so valiant that if we beleeue a certaine learned Schoole-man a little grace is sufficient to conquer and ouer-come all the deuills with all sinnes that raigne and rule in the world There is also a third effect of grace that it maketh the soule so acceptable and excellent in the sight of God that as manie works as it dooth deliberatiuely and aduisedly which are not sinnes are acceptable vnto him That not onely the acts of vertue but also naturall works as to eate drinke sleepe such like are acceptable before the Lord. The fourth effect is that it maketh vs the sonnes of God by adoption and heyres of the heauenly kingdome and also worthy to bee written in the booke of Life in which all the names of the righteous are written and by consequent it giueth vnto vs a lawfull claime and title to that most rich and heauenly inhearitance This is that priuiledge and prerogatiue which our Sauiour praysed so greatly in his Disciples then when they returned merily vnto him saying Lord euen the deuils are subdued vnto vs through thy Name to whom our Sauiour answered In this reioyce not that the spirits are subdued vnto you but rather reioyce because your names are written in heauen For it is certaine that this is the greatest good that mans hart can thinke vpon or desire in this life But that I may speake many things in few words it is grace that maketh man fitte to all good which maketh the way to heauen plaine before vs which maketh the yoke of the Lorde easie and sweet vnto vs which leadeth man by the way of vertue which healeth our weake nature maketh all that seeme light vnto vs which while it was weake seemed intollerable it is that which after an ineffable manner reformeth and armeth all the powers and faculties of our soules that by the meanes of those vertues which proceede from it
Very many such examples are remembred vnto vs in the histories of auncient time which thing to be true daily experience also teacheth But let vs grant that thy lyfe is longer then other mens let vs giue thee an hundred yeares as saith Chrisostome which is almost the longest time that man liueth nay let vs adde another hundred yeeres yea further let vs ioyne to thee other two hundred yeares what are so many yeares if they be compared with eternitie Though a man liue many yeeres sayth Salomon and be gladde in them all let him remember the dayes of darknesse which shall be many and that followeth All things shal be but vanitie For all felicitie in the view of eternitie although it be great and lasting yet it shall seeme to be and is indeed a vanitie and nothing Thys the wicked themselues confesse acknowledge in the booke of Wisedome where they say And as soone as we were borne we beganne immediatly to drawe to our end Consider therefore how short all the time of this life shall then seeme to the wicked for there in very deed they shall thinke that they haue scarcely liued heere one day and that presently from their mothers wombe they were carried to theyr graues By thys it plentifully appeareth that all the delights and all the felicity of the world is vnto them as shadowes of pleasures which they haue seene onely in a dreame neyther to haue been so indeede This Esay teacheth excellently when he sayth And euen as when an hungry man dreameth that he is eating when he awaketh his soule is emptie or as when as thirstie man dreameth that hee is drinking when he awaketh he is yet faint and his soule hath appetite euen so shal the multitude of all nations be that fighteth against mount Sion All the prosperitie of whom shall be so short that after they shal haue opened their eyes and shall haue seene that short time they shall acknowledge all theyr felicitie to haue been nothing but a dreame Tell mee I pray thee what greater glorie can there be in this world then that of Princes and Emperours who beare rule and exercise dominion ouer this world Where are the Princes of the Heathen become saith the Prophet Baruch and such as ruled the beastes vppon the earth they that had theyr pastime with the foules of the ayre they that hoorded vp siluer and gold wherein men trust so much and made no end of theyr gathering What is become of them that coyned siluer and were so careful and could not bring theyr workes to passe They be rooted out and gone to hell and other men are come vp in theyr steads Where is the wise where is the studious and where the diligent searcher of Natures secrets Where is the glory of Salomon the power of Alexander the magnifience of Assuerus where be those famous and illustrious Romaine Caesars what is become of other Princes and Kings of the earth What hath all theyr vaine glory their multitudes of seruants and theyr huge and puissant Armies profited them What is become of that myrth and laughter which heir Iesters scoffers and fooles procured them Where is the guard of their pernicious flatterers which were wont to encircle them All these are past away as shadowes all vaded as dreames and all theyr felicitie vanished as a smoake Behold therefore my brother how short the felicitie of thys world is ¶ Of the great miseries that are mingled with worldlie felicities THE felicity of this world hath furthermore another euill and mischiefe mingled with it besides that it is short which is a thousand kinde of miseries that as attendants at an inche waite vpon it which in this lyfe or that I may speake better in this valley of teares in this wretched banishment in this troublesome and turbulent sea cannot be auoyded For there are moe miseries then man hath dayes or houres of life for euery day hath his euill and euery houre hath his misery But vvhat tongue shall be able sufficiently to expresse all these miseries Who can reckon vp all the infirmities of our body all the passions of our mind or recount al the iniuries of man or aduersities of his life One wrangleth with thee for thy riches another lyeth in waite for thy life a third slaundereth thee some persecute thee with hatred and enuie some thirsting for reuenge set vpon thee by suborned and false witnes and this way not preuailing assaile thee by force Armes to be briefe some make warre against thee with the tongue which is worser and more dangerous then any weapon Besides these calamities there be infinite other which haue no certaine names for they are mischaunces vnlooked for and misfortunes vnexpected One looseth an eye another hath his arme cut off in fight a third falleth from his horse a fourth out of a window some are drowned in the water and others by other mischaunces and misfortunes If thou desirest to be acquainted with moe mischiefes and euils aske the men of this world and they will giue thee many instances out of the parcell of their pleasures and out of the bundle of their miseries the greater part of which they are which they haue tryed and experimented in this world For if all ioyes and sorrowes all myrth and heauines should be weighed and poyzed in equall ballance thou shouldest euidently see that these are moe then those and thou shouldest vnderstand that for one houre of pleasure thou hast an hundred of miserie Wherfore if all thy life be so short and the greater part of it mingled with so many miseries I pray thee how much is in thy life that may challenge true felicitie But these miseries are common as well to the good as to the wicked for they both saile in one and the selfe same sea are subiect to the same stormes and tempests But there are other calamities to be found which are proper to the wicked for they be the daughters of iniquities the knowledge of vvhich more belongeth to our purpose for they make their life 's more abhominable who are within the compasse of such great miseries What they be and how many the sinners themselues confesse in the booke of Wisedome Wee haue wearied our selues in the way of wickednesse and destruction and wee haue gone through dangerous wayes but wee haue not knowne the way of the Lorde Therefore as the righteous in this life haue a Paradice and in another life hope for another so the wicked in this life haue hel and another attendeth them in the life to come because out of the hell of an euill conscience they goe into the hell of euerlasting torment Such euils rise out of many causes Some are of GOD who as a iust Iudge suffereth not the euill of the fault to passe without the euill of punishment which although it be generally reserued vntill the other life yet oftentimes it beginneth in this For it is most certaine
intollerable if a married woman should giue all her Ouches Tablets Ringes Chaynes Earings and Bracelets which her husband gaue her that shee might be beautified with them and to please him to an adulterer that shee may allure him to her loue I doe not thinke that a more execrable and damnable thing coulde bee thought of in the world and yet this iniurie is doone to man of man to an equall of an equall But how much greater and filthier is it if such great iniurie be offered to God And what other thing doe men daily when as they doe spend and consume their fortitude strength health and riches which God hath giuen them vpon ill works most filthy and dishonest actions They wax more proud do mightily swell through fortitude they hunt after greater glory through beautie in health they more easily forget God by riches they be come more couetous and more greedy to sucke out the blood of the poore by riches they study how to heape vp moe riches they doe deck and trim their bodies beyond measure they lye in waite for the virginity and chastity of women and they doe that they as an other Iudas may sell the blood of Christ and they as Iewes may buy it at an appoynted price And how may I remember sufficient worthily the abuse of the rest of the benefits The water serueth their gullet they abuse the beauty of the creatures to their lust the fruites and blessings of the earth doe wayte vpon their couetousnes The graces and habites of nature doe encrease their pride through too much prosperity they waxe mad and foolish and through aduersity they are so deiected and cast downe that they make shipwrack of theyr soules and runne into damnation The murtherer riseth early and killeth the poore and the needy and in the night hee is as a theefe as it is written in Iob. To be briefe whatsoeuer God created for his glory they conuert it to be instruments for their madnes and frenzie He should enter into a bottomlesse pit of miseries if any would exactly remember their distilled waters smels fumigations apparell Babilonian tapestry and their diuers kinds of delicates boyled rosted broyled fryed and a thousand other superfluities of the which that there might be more skill to sinne not onely whole books are written but also imprinted so little shamefastnes there is amongst vs and so great strength the enticements of the flesh haue got All these precious things for which wee ought to giue to the Lord God infinite and euerlasting thanks they vse as the prouokements of their riotousnes and luxuries peruerting the vse of all the creatures of God and making them the instruments of vanity which they ought to make the instruments of vertue To be briefe they haue vowed and bequeathed all things which are in the world to the lusts and delights of their flesh but nothing to their neighbour whom God hath commended so seriously vnto them For when they shold giue any thing to their neighbour then they are onely poore then they rip vp and record that they are much endebted in all other things neyther are they endebted to any man neyther is anie thing wanting or lacking to them Therfore ô my brother doe not suffer that this so dangerous a burthen layd vpon thee doe remaine to the houre of death which by how much it is greater by so much a straighter account shall be exacted of thee That God giueth much to him who is ingratefull is a certaine kinde of iudgement but when he giueth to him that abuseth his benefits it is a token of reprobation For in this we shew that wee haue put off all shamefastnes the beasts in this kinde of vertue doe goe before vs and are much more thankfull to their benefactour then wee are Wherefore if the Niniuites shall rise against the Iewes at the last iudgement and shall condemne them because they were not moued to repentance by the preaching of Christ let vs beware and take heede least God condemne vs for the example of beasts because they doe loue their benefactour whom we doe not loue THE FOURTH TITLE That we are bound vnto Vertue by reason of the inestimable benefit of our Redemption CHAP. IIII. AFter the benefits of our Creation and Preseruation followeth the inestimable benefit of our Redemption To handle and speake of this benefit I finde my selfe so vnworthy and so vnapt that I am vtterly ignorant where to begin or where to make an ende I know not what to speake neyther what to keepe close and silent If the idlenes and slothfulnes of men did not neede this prick to liue well it were better to adore with silence the altitude and depth of such a benefit then to obscure and darken it with the harshnes that I may so speake and penury of my tongue It is remembred in the writings of auncient men that a certaine famous Paynter when he would depaynt the funerall solemnity of a certaine Kings Daughter fayned many of her kinsfolks alliance standing about the course with sorrowfull and heauy countenances hee ioyned also the mother vnto them more mournfull and sorrowfull then the rest When he came to delineate and pourtray the father hee did couer his face with a certaine artificiall shadow signifying thereby that his Art did heere faile him By which new deuice and inuention he expressed the greatnes of his greefe If therefore all our knowledge is not sufficient to declare the benefit of our Creation what tongue what eloquence what oratory can sufficient worthily expresse the benefit of our Redemption God created all things with the onely becke and pleasure of his will but for mans redemption he sweat thirty three yeeres hee shed his blood neyther had he any one member or sence which was not tormented and vexed with some particuler and peculier greefe It seemeth that an iniury is done to this glorious misterie if any man shall suppose that he can expresse it with humane tongue Then what shall I doe shall I speake or shall I holde my peace I may not be silent and I cannot speake How can it be that I should keepe in silence thy mercy so vnmeasurable and how shall I declare this mistery so high and so to be adored To hold my peace ingratitude to speake may be called rashnes and presumption Wherefore ô my God I intreate thine vnmeasurable piety grant vnto me that as long as I shall speake of thy glory after my rude manner those blessed spirits which are aboue in heanen who know how to glorifie thee may prayse and glorifie thee for me and that thy holy spirit may administer and supply vnto me those things wherin I faile After that man was created and seated in a place of delights in great dignity and glory and also was bound to God with so great and straight bonds as the benefits were great that he had receaued of him he became disobedient and rebelled and of
with me hath alwayes beene in me by which I became a solitary and a Monasticall man Histories report of Agathon that hee dying had his eyes three dayes open and neuer shut neyther euer moued them But his brethren touching him sayd ô holy Father where art thou now He sayd I stand in the sight of Gods iudgement his brethren sayd moreouer vnto him doest thou also feare To whom hee aunswered alwayes as much as lay in me I purposed to keepe the commaundements of God but I am a sinfull man and how should I know whether my works please God To whom his brethren sayd doest thou not trust in thy works because they are according to Gods word and rule To whom he aunswered I doe not trust in my works in the sight of God because in his iudgement and sight all our best works are imperfect and full of infirmity but onely in Christ Iesus my Redeemer in whom I assure my selfe to haue all righteousnes and perfection No lesse fearefull is that example which Iohannes Climacus remembreth of an other man that led a solitary life and that we will set downe heere with his owne words for it is especially to be noted to the edefying of mens soules A certaine man called Stephanus sayth hee dwelling in this place loued a solitarie and a quiet life This man when he had liued many yeeres solitarily being adorned with many singuler vertues of Christianity and sanctification built himselfe a Cell at the bottome of that hill in which in times past Elias beheld his holy and diuine vision He so venerable for life and conuersation that he might furnish himselfe with more integrity and purity of liuing hee came to a place of Anchorites which place was called Fayth In which place when hee had passed ouer many yeeres with a most straight kind of life for this place was vtterly remote from all humane consolation and almost not come to of any man for it was almost seauenty miles distant from any dwelling of man in the very last part of his life he departed thence desirous to dwell in the Cell of that holy Hill There were two Disciples of Palestina very religious who also diligently obserued the Cell of this old man In which whē he had continued a fewe dayes he fell into sicknes whereof he dyed But a day before his departure suddainly hee fell into an agonie and astonishment of minde and with open eyes he looked about first to the right side then to the left side of the bed and as though certaine required an account of him all they that stoode about him heard him say some-times thus So in truth it is but for this I haue humbled my selfe and broken of my sinnes by repentance Some-times hee said No truly but yee lie I haue not doone thus Then againe thus So it is indeede this is so but I haue wept and with weeping as with a gunneshot I haue battered downe that partition wall which kept Gods countenaunce from me God hath heard my prayers and my teares And againe yee rightly accuse me In some also some-times he said So it is truly and to these I haue not that I may say vnlesse God be mercifull vnto me and God is more mercifull then man can be sinfull if man will be sorrowful And surelie this inuisible and most sharpe iudgement was a feareful and a terrible sight in which also that which is more terrible they obiected vnto him what he had not done ah woe is me he being a man of such sanctitie and holines of life In many of his sinnes he said that he had not what he might aunswere euen this man said so who had almost forty yeeres ledde a solitarie life and had the grace of those teares that wash and blot out the hand writing of GOD against vs. Certaine affirmed to me of a truth that this man whilst he was in the vvildernes nourished a Leopard with his owne hand And vvhilst thys strict account was required of him and whilst he was in thys sore conflict he departed thys life Hetherto are the words of Climacus which sufficiently declare how greatly carelesse and negligent men ought to feare the seperation of theyr soule and body when as the very Saints themselues are found to feare so greatly But if any one aske why the Saints placed in this danger do feare with so great trembling to this Saint Gregorie aunswereth in the fourth booke of his Morrals in these words The minde of the Elect when it remembreth those things vvhich it hath done is greatly feared with the dread of iudgement Now it looketh perfectly into it selfe but as yet it dooth not raise vp it selfe vnto security because whilst it considereth how great the cumbrance and horrour of the last examination is it carefullie trembleth betweene hope and feare because the iust Iudge comming he knoweth not what of his trespasses hee will impute vnto him what he will forgiue For they are not therefore secure if outwardly in outward action they haue not offended but they are carefull for theyr thoughts by which theyr minde is forced hether thether For as much as they can do that they may not offend outwardly so much they cannot doe that they may not offend inwardlie in their thought Therefore often-times the elect vnwillingly offend in thought which they marke diligently in themselues and consider what great gilt it is before the eyes of God And when as for these things they alwaies feare the strict iudgement of God yet then especiallie they doe feare when they comming to pay theyr debt vnto nature do see themselues approching to the strict exact Iudge And so much more pearcing is the feare by howe much more the eternall retribution is neere Moreouer before the eyes of theyr hart at that time no fantasticall thing doth flie because all such matters beeing taken away they onely consider themselues and him to whom they are approching Feare increaseth by the neere retribution of iustice and by the neerenes of death so much by howe much the strict iudgement is neere as it were touched Although they remember that they neuer offended in those things which they know yet they feare those things which they knowe not because they cannot vtterly iudge of and discerne themselues therefore their end growing neere they are terrified with a greater feare Neither is the soule of man then feared without cause seeing that after a very short time it shall haue that iudgement which neuer can be changed Hetherto Gregorie If therefore holy men with so great reason haue feared thys iudgement what ought not they to doe who are not such ones Yea who haue spent the greatest part of theyr lyfe in following the vanities of this world vvho so often haue offended God vvho hetherto haue liued most carelesly vvho neuer haue had any care of theyr saluation vvho haue neuer beene touched with any regard to prepare themselues for this houre If
the iust doe so greatly feare what shall the sinner doe When as the Cedar of Libanus is shaken what will the sprigge of the wildernesse doe If the righteous scarcely shal be saued as saith S. Peter where shall the vngodly and sinner appeare Tell me I pray thee what doost thou thinke of that houre whē as thou departing out of this life shalt enter into that iudgment alone naked poore without any one that may defend and maintaine thy cause besides thy good works which thou hast doone and only thy conscience wayting vpon them that tribunall vvill be very sharpe and seuere where it is not handled of life or death temporall but eternall And if in rendring thine account thou art found wholy oppressed with debts alas how horrible wil be the dolours and vexations of thy mind O how full of confusion wilt thou be and how aboundant in vnprofitable repentance how voyd wilt thou be of all aduice and counsaile and how destistute of all comfort Truly great vvas the trouble and distraction of minde among the Princes of Iuda when as the victorious sword of Sesac King of the Egyptians did tyrannize in all the streets of Ierusalem when as by the present paine and punishment they acknowledged their passed faults and old errors But there is no comparison between that confusion and thys of the which we now speake In that houre what will sinners doe vvhether will they turne themselues vvho shall defend them Teares will not profit them there all repentance will be barraine and vnfruitfull In that houre neither prayers shall be heard neither any promises shall take place or any suretieshippe be accepted When as the last moment of life is come and the houre glasse runne out novve there is no more time left for repentance But if these foresaide things will not profit much lesse shall riches nobilitie or honours helpe for the Wise-man sayth Riches auaile not in the day of wrath but righteousnes deliuereth from death When as the vnhappy soule shall see it selfe compassed and inclosed in these streights what will it doe what will it say vvith what other words will it lament this lamentable estate then with those which the Prophet vsed in times past when he sayd The sorrowes of death compassed me and the floods of wickednesse made me afraid the sorowes of the graue haūe compassed me about the snares of death ouertooke me Woe is me poore wretch into what a laborinth haue my sinnes ledde me How suddenlie and thinking nothing lesse hath this houre entrapped me How hath it rushed vpon me I neuer dreaming of it What doe now my honours profit me vvhat doe now my dignities helpe me What doe all my friends for me vvhat profit doe now my seruaunts bring me vvhat fruite doe I now reape of all my riches goods which I was wont to possesse For no a small peece of ground of seauen foote will containe me and I must be content with a dwelling in a narrow Coffin and vvith lodging in a poore winding-sheete But that which is worst of all my riches shall remaine heere behind me which I haue scraped together with so great toyle and sweating others shall enioy them and shall spend them on their pleasures Onely my sinnes which I haue committed in gathering them waite vpon me that I may suffer deserued punishment for thē What can I make now of all my pleasures delights seeing they are all ouer-past onely theyr dreggs are my portion which are scruples bytings of conscience which like thornes doe pearce me and doe runne through my myserable hart and shall torment it with euerlasting tortures O my intollerable blockishnes ô my madnes and folly to be cursed with a thousand execrations how could it be that I vnmindfull of thys time haue not prepared my selfe to eschew these present calamities How often haue I beene admonished of this day but vvith deafe eares I ouer-passed all counsaile vvoc is me why did I not receiue instruction vvhy haue I not obeyed and harkened vnto my Teachers and to the wordes that they taught mee I lyued irreligiously in the midst of the Church and amongst Gods people I haue polluted my selfe with all kinde of sinne With these and such like lamentations sinners will deplore and bewaile theyr miserable estate and these most commonly will be their meditations considerations and confessions But least thou my brother sholdest fall into the like straights I pray thee that thou wouldest examine all these things aforesayd with diligent regard and that they being often meditated vpon thou wouldest euery where and alwayes set them before thine eyes but amongst others lay vp chiefely these three things deepely in thy minde and in a faithfull memory the first of which is that thou consider the greatnes of the punishment which thou shalt feele in the houre of death for thy multitude of sinnes by which thou hast offended the diuine goodnes the second is that thou diligently ponder with what great desire thou wilt then wish so to haue led thy life that in that houre thou mightest haue God propitious and fauourable vnto thee thirdly that thou remember how great and how seuere a repentance thou wouldest enter into if time should be graunted vnto thee Therefore liue so now as thou wouldest desire and wish that thou hadst liued in that houre THE EIGHT TITLE That man is bound to desire Vertue by reason of that second last thing that happeneth vnto him which is the last Iudgement CHAP. VIII AFter death followeth the perticuler iudgement of euery one and after that the vniuersall iudgment of all when that shall be fulfilled which the Apostle sayth Wee must all appeare before the iudgement seate of Christ that euery man may receaue the things which are done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or euill Heere we will speake of the rigour of that strict account which shall be exacted of vs in this iudgement and what will follow after the sentence of this iudgement that man may see that he not onelie is inuited vnto Vertue but rather that he is drawne and constrayned First therefore we are to consider that one thing amongst other which holy Iob wondered at that although man is so weake a creature yet God who is so great and mighty entreth with great rigour into iudgement with him Insomuch that there is no word no thought no inordinate and disordered motion which he hath not written in the booke and record of his iustice that he may exact a most strict account of it After a long discourse he at length sayth thus Wherefore hidest thou thy face and takest me for thine enemy Wilt thou breake a leafe driuen too and fro And wilt thou pursue the dry stubble For thou writest bitter things against me and makest me to possesse the iniquities of my youth Thou puttest my feete also in the stocks and lookest narrowly vnto all my paths and makest
twilight be dimme through the darknesse of it let it looke for light but haue none neyther let it see the dawning of the day Because it shut not vp the doores of my Mothers wombe nor hid sorrow from mine eyes Why dyed I not in the birth or why dyed I not when I came out of the wombe Why did the knees preuent me and why did I sucke the breastes Thys will be the musicke thys the song which the vnhappie and miserable shall sing without end O vnhappy tongues which pronounce nothing but blasphemies ô vnluckie eyes that see nothing but calamities and miseries ô miserable eares which heare nothing but complaints and gnashings of teeth ô vnhappie bodies which haue no other refreshing but burning flames What minde shal they haue there who whilst thy lyued heere triflingly bestowed their houres and spent all theyr time vpon pleasures and delights O what a long chayne of miseries haue thy short pleasures wrought made for thee O foolish and sencelesse what shall the allurements of the flesh now profit you which you then so much delighted in sith yee are now cursed to eternall mourning and bewayling vvhat is become of your riches vvhere are your treasuries vvhere are your delights vvhere are your ioyes The seauen yeeres of plentie are past and other seauen yeares of dearth and scarcity are come which haue deuoured vp al their plenty no memory or footstep being left of it Your glory is perished and your felicitie is drowned in the Sea of sorrow you are come to that scarcenes and sterilitie that a small droppe of water is not graunted vnto you by which the fierce flaming heate of your throate may be cooled which so exceedingly doth torment you Not onely your delights haue not profited you which you enioyed in this world but they shall be the causes of greater torments For then shal be fulfilled that which is written in the booke of Iob The pittifull man shall forget him the worme shall feele his sweetnes he shall bee no more remēbred the wicked shal be broken like a tree then the sweetnes of the delight of euill things shal be turned into the wormwood of sorow when the memory of fore-passed pleasures according to the exposition of Saint Gregorie shall be get greater bitternesse of present griefes they remembring what somtimes they haue been and what place they now are in and that for that so soone passed away now they suffer that which shall endure for euer Then at the length too late they shall acknowledge the deceits of the deuill and being in the midst of errours they shall begin in vaine to vtter those words of the Wiseman Wee haue erred from the way of truth and the light of righteousness hath not shined vnto vs wee haue wearied our selues in the way of wickednesse and destruction and we haue gone through dangerous wayes but we haue not knowen the way of the Lorde These shall be the complaints these shall be the lamentations this shall be the perpetuall repentance which the damned shall there make world without end when it shall profit them nothing because the time is past and gone in which they should haue brought forth fruites worthy of repentance All these and euery one of them if they be considered are pricks and motiues vnto Vertue Wherfore also Saint Chrisostome dooth vse this argument also in his Homilies that he might stirre vp the people to Vertue That thou maist prepare thy soule saith he as the dwelling and habitation of God remember that horrible and exceeding feareful day in which we all standing before the throne of Christ shall render an account of things done heere our sinnes shall be layde open before the eyes of all people our actions shal be reuealed and showne to all those that know them not where the fierie Riuer and the vnsleeping worme are where all things are naked and open Where the bookes of our harts shall be opened and our secret and hidden deedes done by day or night by ignoraunce or forgetfulnes shall be read manifestly all those things that now lie hid shal be reuealed Thinke therefore that wee must come before a Iudge that cannot be deceaued where not onely our actions but also our words and thoughts shall be iudged where wee shall receaue dreadfull and terrible paynes for those things that seeme but small vnto vs. Alwaies remember these things and neuer forget that vnquenchable flame Haue an eye to him comming to iudge the quick and the dead Thinke vpon the thousands and tenne thousands of Angels wayting vpon the Iudge nowe let thy hearing preuent the sound of the Trump and that feareful sentence of the Iudge condemning Let thine eye fore-see some cast into vtter darknes others excluded and shutte out of the gates after much labour of virginitie Consider some to be gathered as tares and to be cast into a fiery fornace and others deliuered to the vnsleeping worme and to mourning to gnashing of teeth this man to bee iudged for his vnreasonable laughter that man for iniuring his neighbour or because hee hath offended his brother this man to be condemned for faults that he hath forgot another man for an idle word this man to be damned for his ill meaning another for slaunderous rayling one for anger to suffer intollerable punishment another for ignominie some to be depriued of the knowledge of Christ and to heare Verily I say vnto you I know you not because they haue doone those things which Christ hath forbidden These things therefore beeing thus what ones ought we to be or what teares ought we to shedde and to say Oh that mine head were full of water and mine eyes a fountaine of teares that I might weepe day and night But that we may escape this dreadfull punishment Come yee let vs come before the face of the Lord with confession and with diligence and amendement of life let vs call vpon the name of our Lord God For in the pit who shal praise or confesse thy name God hath giuen all things double vnto vs two eyes two eares two hands two feete If therefore one of these be hurt by the other we comfort and relieue our necessitie But he hath giuen but one soule vnto vs if wee shall loose this with what shall we liue Therefore let vs looke to prouide for this let vs preferre nothing before the safetie of it because this is also iudged with the body and is freed and cleered together with it and together with the body dooth appeare before Christes tribunall If thou then shalt say my money allured me the Iudge will say vnto thee hast thou not heard What shal it profit a man though hee should winne the whole worlde if hee lose his owne soule If thou shalt say the deuill deceaued me he also will say vnto thee that it profited Eue nothing to say The Serpent deceaued me Therfore we remembring these things
admonish men that they be not vnmindfull vvhat the wrath of the Lord God is and what be the instruments of his iustice what be the punishments of the wicked and what is the power of our aduersaries that we beeing admonished by the fearefull terrour of these things may feare to offend God For what is that starre which fell from heauen vnto the earth to whom the keyes of the bottomlesse pitte were deliuered but that most bright Angell who fell from heauen to whom vvas giuen the power of darknes And what be those Locustes like vnto Horses prepared for the warre but hellish Furies Armies of damned companions assistants helpers and ministers vnto him who are deuils what is the grasse what the greene plants which they are forbidden to hurt but the iust who are greene and doe florish by the dew of the Diuine grace and doe bring foorth fruite to eternall life Who be they that haue not the seale of God in their foreheads but they that haue not the spirit of God who is the seale of his seruaunts and of the Sheepe of his flock Therefore against those miserable and wretched ones such an Armie of the Diuine iustice is prepared that both in this life and in that to come according to theyr merrits they shal be tormented and tortured of the deuils themselues whom they haue serued no otherwise then the Egiptians were vexed of the water-flies and frogges which they adored for Gods How horrible and fearefull a thing will it be then in that damned cursed place to see so many terrible monsters and hagges so dreadfull How fearefull will it be there to see that hungry Dragon fretting and fuming with horrible madnesse that great Behemoth of whom it is said in the booke of Iob that his tayle is like a Cedar that drinketh vp riuers and feedeth on Mountaines Those things that hetherto haue been spoken of vs do sufficiently declare how intollerable the punishments of the wicked shall be For what is to be looked or hoped for of all them but horrible punishments What is to be looked for of the greatnesse and infinitenes of God I say of the greatnes of his iustice in punishing wicked men and sinners vvhat of the greatnes of his patience which so gently doth forbeare and expect the repentance of sinners vvhat of the multitude of his benefits with which he doth loade sinners that with the sweetnes of them he might draw and allure them vnto him What of the greatnes of his hatred which he hath against sinne for that sinne that offendeth an infinite Maiestie merriteth an infinite hate What of the greatnesse of the furie of our enemies who are so mightie in torments and tortures and so ready to doe ill What I say is to be looked for or to be hoped of the greatnesse of all these things but a mightie and vnheard of punishment of sinne If therefore the punishment be so great which is prepared for sin neyther may any escape it neither doth it euer faile for so our sayth doth tell vs what is the reason or rather the blindnesse of them who beleeuing and confessing these things do not regard the intollerable burthen which they take vpon them when they offend For they committing but one sinne are bound to this punishment which by the fore-said reasons is proued to be so great and so vnmeasurable ¶ Of the eternitie of these punishments BVt besides that those things which hetherto vvee haue remembred be sufficient to beget in vs very great feare terrour yet they shall be much more effectuall if we consider the perpetuitie of these punishments For if there were any end or intermission or refreshing to be found in them at the least after many thousand yeeres certainly it would be a great comfort to these miserable and wretched soules But what shall I speake of Eternitie which knoweth none other end then that which the Eternitie of GOD himselfe hath Which space is so long that as a famous Doctour testifieth if any of those damned should shed but euery thousand yeere one teare greater aboundance of water shoulde flowe out of his eyes then this whole world should be able to containe What thing more terrible can be spoken or thought vpon But if all the torments vvhich are in hell were as the pricking of pinnes yet for their Eternity they might suffice to moue a man to vndergoe with a cheereful minde the punishments tribulations crosses and what soeuer miseries are in this world at least that hee may escape Eternall punishment O that this word Eternall might alwayes stay and dwell in thy minde how profitable would it be vnto thee We reade of a certaine man very studious and contemplatiue of the vanities of the world who when on a certaine time he fell into the cogitation of this Eternity fearing a thing of such continuance which should haue none end hee began thus to reason with himselfe There cannot a man of a sound wit be found in this world who would accept the gouernment of the whole world with that condition that for the space of thirty or forty yeeres together hee should stretch himselfe vpon a bed strewed with roses and springing flowers which thing if it be so what is the madnes frenzie and dotage of men that will for a thing of verie small moment embrace a burning firy bed vpon which he shall be rosted and broyled for euer and euer This onely consideration was so profitable to that man and wrought so great fruites in him that forth-with vices being forsaken hee sought after Vertue and in a short time in such manner profited in them that hee became an holy man and a Prelate of the Church What will the delicate tenderlings of this world say who for the noyse of one gnat doe passe whole nights without sleepe when they shal see themselues stretched vpon this bed of burning fire and to be burned in euery part with lyuing flames And that not for one night but to endure for euer To such the Prophet Esay speaketh in these words Who among you shall dwell with the deuouring fire who among you shall dwell with the euerlasting burnings Whose shoulders are so hard or of Iron that can beare such a burthen so long a time O nation bewitched and sencelesse ô men blinded of that old deceiuer who doth muffle and hood-winke all the world with his deceipts and guiles What I pray thee is more strange from reason then that men regard and respect euery small trifle that pertayneth to this life and in a matter of so great moment are so inconsiderate and negligent If we doe not see these things what wil we see What wil we feare if we doe not feare these things or what shal we fore-see if we doe not fore-see these things But if these things be so why doe we not embrace vertues with great alacrity of spirit although they be hard and difficult at the least that we may eschew
giue thanks to GOD for the Corinthians saying that in all things they were made rich Calling them absolutelie rich signifying that others were not to be called properly rich but rich in this world or rich men of thys world ¶ All this afore-said is explained by a notable sentence of the Gospell ALthough thys afore-said seemeth to be expounded and approoued plainly enough yet for the further confirmation of it I will ioyne moreouer a notable sentence taken out of the Gospell by which our Sauiour aunswereth to Saint Peter demaunding what reward he his fellow Disciples should haue who for the loue of their Maister had left and forsaken all Verily I say vnto you saith he as it is in Marke there is no man that hath forsaken house or bretheren or sisters or father or mother or vvife or children or lands for my sake and the Gospels but hee shall receiue an hundred fold nowe at this present houses and bretheren and sisters and mothers and children and lands with persecutions in the world to come eternall life These be the words of Christ which are not lightly to be passed ouer For first thou canst not denie but that heere is made a difference and a distinction betweene a reward which is giuen in thys life and that which is in another whilst one is promised as to come the other is offered as present Thou canst also lesse denie but that these promises are ratified and certaine neither euer doe they deceiue them to whom they are promised For heauen and earth shall perrish but one iote or one title shall not escape of these things till all be fulfilled although they seeme vnpossible For euen as we beleeue that God is three and one because he said so although otherwise it seemeth vnpossible so we also must beleeue thys trueth although it passeth all vnderstanding for it hath the testimonie of the same Author who only is truth it selfe in all his sayings Tell mee therefore I pray thee what is this hundreth fold which is giuen to the righteous in this life For we see for the most part that to them is not giuen great dignities not loftie honours not large possessions nor the magnificent furniture of this world but that many of them doe liue in corners buried in the obliuion and obscurity of the world expecting their last houre in pouerty misery and calamity Which seeing that it is so how can the infallible truth of this sentence be defended vnlesse we confesse that God in this life doth giue to his those gifts and those spirituall riches which may satisfie a man without any externall pompe of this world with greater felicitie with greater ioy sufficiencie and quiet then the possession of all the goods of this world Neyther is this so much to be meruailed at For as we beleeue that it is not of any necessity to God that hee should nourish mens bodies with bread onely for he hath many other meanes to that end so is it not necessarie to him that he should satisfie soules with temporall blessings onely For he can doe this most easily without them as hee hath most certainly done in all his Saints Who were endued with that spirituall ioy and mirth and with that affection of deuotion that their prayers exercises teares and delights exceeded all the solaces and pleasures of this world And after this manner it is most certainly verefied that an hundreth fold is receaued for that little they left for they receaue for deceiptfull and apparant things those that be vndoubtedly true for things vncertaine certaine for things corporall spirituall for carefulnes security for troubles quietnes for perturbations peace and inward tranquility to conclude for a life impure vicious and abhominable they receaue a life splendent through vertues and most acceptable to God and Angels So also thou if thou shalt despise temporall good for Christ thou shalt find in him inestimable treasures if thou shalt contemne false and fayned honours thou shalt finde in him those that be true if thou shalt renounce the loue of thy father and mother for this he will delight thee with greater blandishments and cherishing and thou shalt find for a temporall father an eternall if thou shalt cast from thee those pestiferous and venomous pleasures thou shalt haue in him sweeter pleasanter and holier delights When thou shalt come to this poynt thou shalt see manifestly that all things which before did please thee are now not onely not gratefull vnto thee but that they doe bring vnto thee an hatred and dislike of them For after that heauenly light hath illuminated our eyes by and by there is begot a new face of all things and diuerse from the former and all things doe seeme to haue put on a certaine new shape by which they shew themselues to our eyes and therefore that which before seemed sweet is now bitter and that which before appeared bitter is now sweet that which before terrified vs doth now like vs that which before was beautifull now seemeth filthy and although it appeared to be such before yet now it seemeth not such neyther that it was well knowne before Therefore after this manner standeth the truth of Christes promise when for the temporall goods of the body there are giuen spirituall blessings of the soule for those goods which are called the goods of fortune there are giuen the blessings of grace which without all comparison are greater and more effectuall and forcible to enrich and satiate mans hart then all externall blessings For the more confirmation of this matter I will not omit to remember a notable and famous example taken out of the booke called The booke of famous and illustrious men When as sayth the Author Saint Bernard preached the word of God to the people in Belgia and that with a most feruent zeale conuerted the inhabitants to God amongst many other who being touched with the grace of the holy Ghost vvere conuerted to a better lyfe there vvas a certaine noble Knight famous among the Belgians called Arnulphus vvho was bound and tyed to the world with very many and mighty bonds and who was exceedingly ensnared and entangled with wordly vanities This man when at the length he bad farewell to the world and betooke himselfe to a vertuous and heauenly kinde of lyuing this holy father so reioyced at his conuersion that he sayd to them that were present that Christ was no lesse miraculous in the conuersion of Arnulphus then he was in the raysing of Lazarus seeing that Christ had raysed him being so fettered with the chaynes of so great sinnes and buried in such deepe pleasures and had brought him to newnes of life Arnulphus also was no lesse admirable in his proceeding then he was in his conuersion And because it is too long to relate here all the vertues of this man I will onely repeate that which maketh for our purpose This holy man was many times so payned
with the Windy-colicke that often his life was endangered by it he stroue with death When on a time he had lost together with his speech all his sence so that there was scarcely left any hope of longer lyuing they applying a little phisicke vnto him forth-with againe he began somewhat to breathe and by little little to come vnto himselfe At the length on a suddaine he began to prayse the Lord crying out with a loude voyce All things which thou hast spoken ô blessed Iesu are most true And he repeated these words very often Those religious men that stoode about him meruailed at him and asked him how he did and why he sayd so He aunswered none other thing but doubled the same saying ouer againe All things which thou hast spoken ô blessed Iesu are true Some that were present sayd that the greatnes of his payne and disease had disturbed his reason and iudgement and that this disturbance did cause him so to speake To whom he aunswering sayd It is not so my brethren but I doe speake with a sound iudgement and with a good vnderstanding that those things are most true which our Sauior Iesus Christ spake They said vnto him again surely we confesse as much that it is so but for what intent doost thou speake it Because sayth he he sayth in the Gospell that whosoeuer for the loue of him shall forsake his parents he shall receaue an hundreth fold in this world and shall haue life euerlasting in the other The experience of this I haue now in my selfe and I confesse with all my hart that now I haue receaued an hundred fold in this life for the greatnes of the griefe which I now suffer is so sweet vnto me for the certaintie of the hope which I haue of my saluation that I woulde not change my Christ with the hundreth fold of all those things that are in the vvorld And if I that am so great a sinner doe receaue so great consolation in my griefes and paines what shal holy and perfect men receaue in their reioycings For that spirituall ioy vvhich hath brought this hope vnto mee dooth farre exceede all that worldly ioy which I possessed in this world When they had heard these things all they that stoode by meruailed that a man vnlearned illiterate should vtter so great misteries but surelie it was the holy Ghost that dwelled in his hart that spake these things in him Therefore by this example it is very manifest that God with out any pompe or preparation of these temporall blessings can giue to his much more aboundance and many moe precious blessings then those were which they left for him and by consequent it is hence euident howe shamefully they erre who thinke that no reward is destined and ordained for Vertue in this life To banish therefore this errour so dangerous besides those things which haue beene spoken the twelue priuiledges prerogatiues which follow shall be most profitable in which we will handle and discourse of the twelue admirable fruits and preheminences which attend and waite vpon Vertue in thys life that by them the louers of this world may vnderstand that in Vertue there are found many moe excellent blessings then they suppose And although to the perfect knowledge of thys the experience and vse of Vertue herselfe were necessarie that thereby we might the better know her riches and commodities yet that which is wanting in this respect Fayth shall supply which confesseth acknowledgeth the truth of the diuine and holy Scriptures by the testimonies of which I will approue all things which I am to speake of this matter that we should at no time doubt of the excellencie of Vertue THE TWELFTH TITLE That the first priuiledge or prerogatiue of Vertue doth bind vs vnto her which is the speciall prouidence by which God directeth all good men to all good and chastiseth the iniquity of the wicked CHAP. XII WE beeing about therfore to speak of the twelue priuiledges and prerogatiues of Vertue we wil beginne of the first and principall from which as from a liuely fountaine all the rest doe flow and that is of the prouidence and fatherly care which God vseth towards them who do serue him Although there is in him a generall prouidence ouer all his creatures yet he hath a singuler and a speciall prouidence onelie ouer them whom hee hath chosen that they should be his and seeing that he accounteth of them as of his sonnes he hath also giuen vnto them a childes hart and a filiall spirit and he in like manner beareth towards them the hart of a most louing tender Father and therefore he hath ouer them a care a prouidence equall vnto this loue But how great that prouidence is it cannot be vnderstood vnlesse of them which haue tried or at least haue seene or haue read with industrie attention those places of Scripture which speake of this prouidence Whosoeuer shall doe this hee shall see that generally all these things are directed to that end For all things haue reference and are turned about these two points no otherwise then the heauen about his poles that is about the Commaundement and the Promise For here the Lord commaundeth obedience to man and obseruaunce of his precepts there he promiseth great rewards to them who obserue keep them threatneth fearefull punishments to them who breake and violate them This doctrine is deuided after that manner that all the morrall bookes of the sacred Scripture do cōmaund and promise and the historicall doe shew the true effect of this or that showing how differently GOD carrieth himselfe towards the good euill But seeing that God is so magnificent and so liberall and man so miserable and so fraile he so rich in promising this so poore in giuing greatly different is the proportion of that which he commaundeth in respect of that hee giueth so that he commaundeth few things but giueth verie many he commaundeth loue and obedience both which hee himselfe giueth and for them he offereth inestimable blessings as well of grace as of glory both in this life and that to come Amongst these wee giue the first place to his loue and fatherly prouidence which he beareth towards them who are receiued of him for sonnes which loue exceedeth al loue prouidence which all earthly fathers haue or can haue towards their sonnes The reason is this because euen to this day there hath not been found any Father who hath layd vp prepared so great blessings for the good of his chyldren as GOD hath prepared prouided for his children that is the participation of his owne glorie Neyther hath any Father laboured or taken so much paynes as hee who hath for them shedde his owne blood To conclude neyther doth any Father watch and keepe his vvith so great care and diligence as God dooth his who are daily in his eyes and to whom he is present in
in their soules as in an earthly Paradice and in an Orchard well trimmed and tilled in which he also is delighted So Saint Augustine speaketh writing vpon Genesis yea in man himselfe the ioy of a good conscience is Paradice Where-vpon the Church also in the Saints lyuing temperately godly and iustly is rightly called a Paradice abounding with the affluence of graces and chast delights In his booke also of Catechizing the ignorant hee sayth thus Thou who seekest for true rest which after this life is promised to Christians heere thou mayst also tast of it sweetly amongst the most bitter troubles of this lyfe if thou shalt loue his commaundements who hath promised it For soone thou shalt perceaue and feele that the fruites of righteousn es are more sweet then those of iniquity more truly and more pleasantly thou shalt reioyce of a good conscience amongst troubles then of an ill conscience amongst pleasures Hetherto Augustine Out of whose words thou mayst easily gather that the ioy of a good conscience is so much and so great that as honey is not onely sweete of itselfe but also it maketh that sweet which before was not sweet so a good conscience is so merry and so pleasant that it maketh all the troubles and tribulations of this world seeme pleasant and delightfull Furthermore as we haue sayd that the filthines and enormity of sinne doth torment the wicked so on the other side the beauty and dignity of Vertue doth make merry and comfort the good as in manifest words the Prophet testifieth The iudgments of the Lord which are his diuine commaundements are truth they are righteous altogether And more to be desired then gold yea then much fine gold sweeter also then honey and the honey combe But how the kingly Prophet was delighted in keeping the commaundements of the Lord he testifieth of himselfe in another Psalme saying I haue had as great delight in the way of thy testimonies as in all riches The which sentence of the father his sonne Salomon confirmeth It is ioy sayth he to the iust to doe iudgement but destruction shall be to the woorkers of iniquity Which iudgement is no other thing then Vertue her selfe and that a man should doe as he ought Which ioy although it riseth also from other causes yet especially it ariseth from the dignity and beauty of Vertue which as Plato sayth is beauty inestimable To be briefe the fruite and sweetnes of a good conscience is so great that Saint Ambrose in his bookes of Duties is not afrayd to say that in it consisteth the happines of the righteous in this life His words be So great is the renowne and splendour of honesty that the tranquility of conscience and the security of innocency make the life blessed and happy Moreouer euen as the Philosophers without the light of fayth knew the torments of an euill conscience so they knew the ioyes of a good conscience Amongst others Cicero in the bookes of his Tusculane Questions speaketh thus The age and time of man passed honestly and vertuously doth bring so great comfort that no griefe of minde doth touch them that haue so liued or if it doe it is but lightly The same man also sayth in an other place Vertue hath no larger or fayrer a Theater then the conscience Socrates being asked who could liue without perturbation He aunswered He that is guilty to himselfe of no euill Bias whē he was asked what wanted feare in this life He said A good conscience Seneca also sayth in a certaine Epistle A wise man is neuer without ioy and that proceedeth from a good conscience Out of which it is manifest how excellently these agree with that sentence of Salomon All the dayes of the afflicted are euill but a good conscience is a continuall feast A greater thing could not be spoken in so few words By which the wise-man signifieth that as they that sit at a banquet are made merry by the variety of meates and dainty cates and by the presence of their friends with whom they liue so the righteous are made merry by the testimony of a good conscience and by the sweet sauour of the diuine presence from which they haue receaued and feele in theyr soules so euident a pledge of saluation But the difference is this that the mirth of the banquets of this world are bestiall and earthly but this is celestiall and for euer that beginneth with hunger and endeth with loathing this beginneth with good life and perseuereth and endeth with glory But if the Philosophers haue had this ioy in so great price and esteeme without hope of any other thing in the lyfe to come howe much more ought Christians to exult and reioyce who knowe how great good things the Lord hath prepared for them both in this life and also in the other Furthermore although this testimonie ought not to bee without a holy and religious feare yet this feare doth not trouble or diminish that ioy but after an admirable manner dooth strengthen confirme and comfort it in whom it is By which it is insinuated vnto vs that then our hope is more lawfull and sound whē it hath this holy feare ioyned vnto it without which hope shall be no hope but false presumption Behold my brother heere is a newe priuiledge which the the righteous enioy of which the Apostle speaketh Our reioycing is this the testimonie of our conscience that in simplicitie and and godly purenesse and not in fleshly wisedome but by the grace of God we haue had our cōuersation in the world These be the things that can be spoken of this priuiledge But neither these nor many moe suffise to declare the excellencie of it to that man who hath not had experience of it himselfe For the tast of any delicious meat cannot be expressed or described with words to him sufficiently who heeretofore hath not tasted of it Seeing that without doubt thys ioy is so great that oftentimes when a godly man is much afflicted tormented and casting his eyes about no where seeth any comfort yet turning his eyes into himselfe and beholding the peace of conscience and the good testimony of it he is fully strengthened and filled full of wonderfull comfort For he vnderstandeth very well that all other things let them succeede as they will doe bring small profit but a good conscience is profitable for all things And although no man can be sure and certaine of it yet as the morning sunne when it is scarcely risen and is not yet seene enlightneth the world with the neerenesse of his brightnes so a good conscience although it be not fully plainly known yet it reioyceth and gladdeth the soule by her good testimonie This is so true that Saint Chrisostome sayth all aboundance of griefe trouble falling into a good conscience dooth no otherwise perrish and is extinguished then if a sparke of fire should
fall into the bottomlesse Ocean Of the sixt priuiledge of Vertue which is the confidence and hope of the Diuine mercy which the righteous reioyce in and of the miserable and vaine trust and repose in which the vvicked liue CHAP. XVIII HOpe and Confidence doth accompany follow the peace and ioy of a good conscience in which the righteous liue of which the Apostle speaketh Reioycing in hope patient in trouble counsayling vs to reioyce in hope and to haue patience in trouble for Hope telleth vs that we haue a strong helper and a bountifull rewarder This is one of the chiefest iewels treasuries of a Christian life thys is the possession and patrimony of the sonnes of God thys is the safe and secure hauen true remedy of all the miseries of this lyfe But we must heere note least perhaps wee be deceiued that as there be two kindes of fayth one dead which bringeth foorth no fruite and thys is the fayth of euill and wicked Christians the other is a liuely fayth full of charitie and fruitfull vnto euerie good worke which the righteous haue which leadeth vnto life so also there are two kindes of Hope or Confidence one dead which gyueth not life vnto the soule neither strengtheneth it with her workes neither comforteth it in tribulations Such is the hope which the wicked glory in The other is a liuelie hope as the Apostle Peter calleth it which as it is a thing that hath life so also it bringeth foorth the effects and fruites of lyfe which are to rayse vp the minde to comfort to reioyce it and to support it in that way which leadeth to heauen and to recreate refresh and encourage it in the troubles of this world as that holy woman Susanna was strengthened and refreshed of whom it is written that beeing already condemned when she was led to the place of execution where she should haue beene stoned to death she was not discouraged but shee hoped in God and her hart had sure affiance in the Lord. Such was the hope of Dauid when he sayd O thinke vpon thy seruant as concerning thy Word wherein thou hast caused me to put my trust the same is my comfort in my trouble Many meruailous be the effects of this liuely hope in that soule wherein it dwelleth and so many the moe by howe much it more participateth of the loue of God which giueth life vnto hope Of these effects the first is that it strengtheneth a man in the way of Vertue through the hope of a rewarde for the more sure and certaine he hath the pledge and pawne of this reward by so much more cheerefully he runneth thorowe whatsoeuer tribulations of this world as all the holy Doctors of the Church confesse with one mouth Hope sayth Saint Gregory dooth rayse vp the soule vnto eternitie and therefore it feeleth no euils which it outwardly beareth Origen sayth the hope of future blessings dooth bring rest to those that labour as to those that contend in battell the hope of victory and reward dooth mittigate the griefe of theyr woundes Saint Ambrose dooth subscribe vnto this Hope of profit saith he dooth steale away our labours and doth hide the feare of danger Of the same minde is Saint Ierome All labour and euery worke sayth he is wont to become easie and to be made light when the reward of it is thought vpon and the hope of reward is the solace and comfort of the labour Saint Chrisostome is more copious in this poynt Alwaies sayth he the hope of future blessings doe make lighter the present discommodities Any body may see this in Merchants who passe and sayle ouer the large and bondlesse Seas and suffer shypwracks Pyrats and many other dangers by which theyr hope is often frustrated neither yet do they so leaue of but they assay and try the same things againe and againe Wee also may say the same of Husbandmen for when as they haue deeplie furrowed the ground and diligently haúe tilled it and sowne it oftentimes they are frustrated of theyr hope eyther through drought or too much moysture or through blasting and some other calamitie Neuerthelesse they doe not so leaue of but againe when the season approcheth they exercise theyr husbandry And in another place If any man setteth by a laborious life let him despise and hate slothfulnes for if to Marriners the threatning billowes and fearefull waues of the Sea doe seeme tollerable if stormes winters are tollerable to Husbandmen if wounds and slaughters to Souldiers if grieuous blowes and stripes seeme light and tollerable to champions for the hope of temporall and perrishing commodities much more whē heauen is prepared for a reward wee ought not to esteeme or account of these present troubles afflictions Exceedingly doth a promise a blessed end mittigate the labours Doe not thou therfore ô Christian think or coniecture that the way of Vertue is rough and sharpe but looke to the end of it Be not deceiued in beholding the pleasant way of vices but looke to that downfall and destruction that it leadeth thee to That holy man sayd very truly and well Which of vs wisheth or desireth to walke in a way strowed with Roses planted with diuers flowers if the assured end of it be death And who will refuse a rough and difficult way that leadeth vnto life Thys hope doth not onely adde courage vnto vs to obtaine our desired end but it encourageth vs in all the meanes which are destinated to that end and generally in all our necessities in the miseries of thys life For by this a man is helped in all his trouble defended in dangers hee receiueth solace in sorrowes ayde in infirmities sufficiencie in all neede for by thys wee obtaine the fauour and mercy of the Lord which helpeth and aydeth vs in all affaires Of all these wee haue most certaine and most euident pledges and gages of holy Scriptures but especially in Dauids Psalmes For there is scarcely found any psalme which doth not commend vnto vs this vertue and which declareth not vnto vs the most noble fruites of it For without all doubt hope is a most rich treasury a very great consolation which the righteous haue in this world Therefore let no man thinke much if we be more long and prolixe in repeating the authorities of thys place In the second booke of the Chronicles a certaine Prophet sayth to King Asa The eyes of the Lorde behold all the earth to strengthen them that with a perfect hart beleeue and hope in him Ieremie speaketh thus of thys hope O how good is the Lord vnto them that put theyr trust in him and to the soule that seeketh after him And Esay sayth If ye returne and be quiet ye shal be safe your strength shall be in quietnesse and hope By quietnesse in thys place is vnderstood the tranquilitie inward rest of the
vnto thee as a young Swallow doth vnto her Dam. So this holy man spake although he was a most mighty King Also his Father Dauid beeing much greater then bee neuerthelesse in all his neede he ranne to this sanctuarie with the same spirit and same intent saith I cryed vnto the Lorde with my voyce with my voyce I prayed vnto the Lord I poured out my meditation before him declared mine affliction in his presence That is when I cast mine eyes about looking heere and there I see all passages stopt and the gates of hope shutte against mee therefore when as mans helpe doth faile me by prayer I desire heauenlie ayde which God hath left vnto me as the onely refuge stay in all my troubles and dangers Perhaps thou wilt aske me whether this remedy be safe and vniuersall for all the necessities of our life Vnto this seeing that it dependeth of the Diuine will onelie none els can answer but those whom God in this matter hath chosen to be his Secretaries as are the Apostles Prophets amongst whom one saith There is no other Nation so great vnto whom the Gods come so neere vnto them as the Lord our God is neere vnto vs in all that wee call vnto him for These be the wordes of God himselfe although they be vttered by the mouth of a man which ought to haue greater credite with vs and to make vs in this matter more secure then all the testimonies of the world that is when wee pray although we see no body who answereth vs yet we speak not to the walls neither doe we scatter our words in the winde but God himselfe is present who heareth and helpeth vs praying pittying our neede and preparing remedie for vs if so that remedy be conâ—enient and necessary What therefore can be a greater comfort to one praying then to haue an earnest and a pledge so certaine of the Diuine assistance But if this be sufficient to comfort and to confirme vs in prayer how much more shall those things confirme vs which Christ himselfe speaketh and that pledge which wee haue of our labour as hee himselfe saith in the Gospell Aske and it shall be giuen you seeke and yee shall finde knocke and it shall be opened vnto you What pawne can we haue more precious or more certaine then this Who can call these wordes into doubt or question who by this comfort will not be refreshed and encouraged in all his prayers vvhom will not this royall charter content satisfie This is one of the greatest and chiefest priuiledges which attend vpon the louers of vertue in thys that is to knowe that these great and assured promises are especially made for them For it is one of the excellentest graces that our Lord bestoweth vpon them for the paiment of their obedience that he alwaies is present with them praying and that hee heareth all their prayers Dauid assureth this vnto vs when hee saith The eyes of the Lorde are vpon the righteous and his eares are open vnto theyr cry And the Lord promiseth the same thing by Esay Then shalt thou call sayth he and the Lord shall aunswer thou shalt cry and hee shall say Heere I am Not onely when they cry but before they shall cry the holy Prophet promiseth that the Lord shall heare them Thys promise moreouer hath great force to obtaine other promises as Christ himselfe sayth in Iohn If ye abide in me and my words abide in you aske what ye will and it shall be doone vnto you But because the greatnes of this promise did seeme to exceede all humane credit he repeateth the same thing the second time and that with greater asseueration saying Verily verily I say vnto you whatsoeuer ye shall ask â— the Father in my Name hee will giue it you What greater grace or fauour can bee showed What greater riches giuen or what greater domination Aske what you wil saith he and it shall be giuen vnto you O word worthy of such a promiser who could promise this that is not God What power could extend it selfe to things so hard and magnificent but the power of God alone This after some manner maketh man the Lorde of all thys deliuereth vnto him the key of the Diuine treasuries All other gifts and Diuine graces haue theâ— lymits in which they are circumscribed But thys amongst the rest as a royall gift of the infinite Lord hath the nature of his infinitenes that it is neyther determined with these or those limits but it is said all whatsoeuer ye wil so that it be conducent to your saluation And if men were iust prisers and esteemers of things how greatly were they to esteeme this promise Of what great woorth would a man make it if he had found this fauour with some King who would giue vnto him whatsoeuer he should aske If an earthly King would be in such price with thee shall not this heauenly King be in greater But if thou shalt esteeme these to bee naked words and that the effect and fruite dooth not follow the promise looke into the liues of the Saints and consider what they haue done onely by prayer How great things did Moses in Egipt and in all that iourney through the wildernes onelie by prayer What great things did Elias and Elizeus effect bring to passe onely by prayer What great miracles did the Apostles by prayer onely With this Armour did the Saints fight with this they haue ouerthrowne the power of deuils by thys they haue triumphed ouer the world by this they haue exceeded nature by this they haue mittigated quenched the heat of fire to conclude by this they haue pacified the wrath of the Lord and haue obtayned whatsoeuer they would This therefore is the rewarde promised to the obedience of the righteous that seeing they are so faithfull obedient to the voyce of the Lord he semblably dealeth with them because they answere vnto his voyce when hee calleth and cryeth vnto theÌ„ it is meete that he should remunerate them after the same manner Hence it is that Salomon saith That an obedient man doth speake of victory for it is meete that God should doe the will of man when man doth the will of God Hetherto of the prayer of the righteous But contrarily speaketh the Lord of the prayer of the wicked When you shal stretch out your hands I will hide mine eyes from you and though you make many prayers I will not heare And by Ieremie the Lorde dooth threaten them saying And in the time of theyr trouble they vvill say Arise and helpe vs. But where are thy gods that thou hast made thee Let them arise if they can helpe thee in the time of thy trouble In the booke of Iob also it is written For what hope hath the hypocrite wheÌ„ he hath heaped vp riches if God take away his soule Will God heare his cry
worlde for his sake shall receaue an hundreth fold heere and shall inherite euerlasting life Behold therefore my brother what an excellent good it is that hetherto I haue shewed thee behold to what I inuite thee consider whether any will say that thou art deceaued if for the loue of it thou shalt forsake the world and all things which are therein Onely one inconuenience this good hath if so that it may be called an incoÌ„uenience why it is not esteemed amongst wicked men that is because it is not knowen vnto them For this cause our Sauiour said That the kingdome of heauen was like vnto a treasure hid for this good is indeede a treasure but hid not to these that possesse it but to others That Prophet very well knew of the price of this treasure who said My secret to my selfe my secret to my selfe Hee regarded not whether others knew of his treasure or no for this good is not of the nature of other goods which are not good vnlesse they be known of others vvherefore they are not good of themselues but only in the estimation of the world and therefore it is necessarie that they be knowen vnto him of whom they are so called But thys good maketh his possesser good and happy and doth noe lesse warme heate his hart when he knoweth of it alone then when the whole world knoweth it But my tongue is not the key of the Casket of this secret and much lesse of all those things which hetherto haue been spoken for whatsoeuer mans tongue can vtter is much lesse theÌ„ the truth of the thing it selfe The Diuine light experience and vse is the key of vertues I would that thou shouldest desire thys key of GOD that thou mayst finde this treasure yea God himselfe in whoÌ„ thou shalt finde all things and thou shalt see with what great reason the Prophet said Blessed is the people whose GOD the Lorde is For what can be wanting vnto him who possesseth this good It is written in the bookes of the Kings that Elcana the Father of Samuell said to his wife sorrowing because shee vvas barren and had no chyldren Anna why weepest thou and why catest thou not and why is thine hart troubled Am not I better to thee then tenne sonnes If a good husband who is to day and to morrow is not be better to his wife then tenne sonnes what thinkest thou of God what will hee be to that soule that possesseth him O men what doe ye whether looke ye what doe ye regard why doe ye leaue the fountaine of Paradice drinke of the muddy Cesterns of thys world Why doe ye not follow the good counsaile of the Prophet who saith O tast see how gracious and sweet the Lord is Why doe we not once assay thys Fourd why doe wee not once tast of these bankets Haue trust to the words of the Lord and beginne and he shal deliuer thee from all danger Terrible and fearefull seemed that Serpent a farre off into which Moses rodde was turned but when it was handled it returned to the old forme againe Not without cause saide Salomon It is naught it is naught saith he that buyâ—th but when hee commeth to his owne house then hee boasteth of his penny-worth Thys hapneth daily to men in this busines For not knowing at the beginning the value of this merchandize because they theÌ„selues are not spirituall neither know they of what esteeme it is and vnderstanding what is requested for it because they are carnall they thinke it is too deere and not worth the price But when they once beginne to tast how sweet the Lord is foorthwith they boast of their merchandize and they confesse that no price is too high or too much to be giuen for this incomparable good Consider how the Merchant in the Gospel cheerfully sold all that he had that he might buy the field in which the treasure was hid Therfore for what cause doth not a Christian man this name being heard contend to know what it is Certainly it is a matter of wonder if any tatler or tale-bearer should tell thee that in thy house there is treasure hidde thou wouldest not rest to digge and delue and to seeke and try whether it were true or no that hee had said But when the Lorde himselfe affirmeth that within thee in thy soule thou hast an inestimable treasure hid canst thou not be brought to seek for it O how soone shouldest thou sinde this treasure if thou onelie knewest how nigh the Lord is vnto them that call vpon him in truth How many men haue their beene in this world vvho considering of their sinnes and perseuering in prayer and desiring remission of them haue in lesse time then a weeke opened the earth or that I may speake better haue found a new heauen and a newe earth and haue begunne to feele in them the kingdome of God How great is it which that Lord doth who saith At what tyme soeuer a sinner doth repent him of his sinnes I will put them out of my remembrance How great was that which that good Father did who scarcely that short prayer of the Prodigall beeing ended could no longer containe himselfe but he must needes embrace him and receaue him into his house with great mirth and feasting Returne therefore my brother to thys gracious fauourable Father and whilst it is time lift vp thy hart vnto him and cease not for some fewe dayes vncessantly to call and knock at the gates of his mercy and assuredly beleeue mee if thou shalt perseuer with humilitie at the length the Lord shall make aunswere vnto thee and shall show thee the hid treasure of his loue which when thou shalt haue tasted and assaied thou wilt say with the Spouse in the Canticles If a man woulde giue all the good of his house for loue he should count it nothing The end of the second part THE THIRD PART OF THE SINNERS GVIDE In which aunswere is made to all those excuses by which those men are wont to excuse and defend themselues who will not embrace Vertue Against the first excuse of those who deferre and put off from day to day the amendment of their lifes and the embracing of Vertue CHAP. XXV I Thinke that no man can deny but that those things are sufficient which hetherto haue beene spoken of vs yea and that they sufficientlie and plentifully doe approoue our principall purpose and intent which wee promised at the beginning to discourse aâ—d dispute of That is that we might moue the harts of men Gods grace being first presupposed to the loue and study of Vertue But although we may be thought to haue satisfied and performed our promise yet the malitiousnes of men haue excuses which haue a show of truth by which they defend their lingering and loytering negligence and still comfort and please themselues in their wickednes as Ecclesiasticus intimateth and insinuateth
him abroade into the fields and there shewed him a man cutting downe of vvood When he had gathered together a great bundle of the vvood he assayed whether lie would lift it vp and lay it on his shoulders and goe away with it but when he found himselfe vnable to doe it he returned againe and cut downe more vvood and a great deale more encreased his burthen When he was now lesseable to support his burthen for now his bundle was farre greater then it was before hee againe augmented it and this he did often with a firme and a resolute purpose The Anchorite meruailing at the great madnes of the man demaunded what was the meaning of it The Angell aunswered that such was the madnes and dotage of men who when they cannot beare the burthen of sinnes by reason of the intollerable heauines of the weight yet they daily adde new to old and almost euery moment encrease the burthen heaping sinnes vpon sinnes and burthen vpon burthen thinking that they can beare many wheÌ„ as they are not able to beare a few But what shall I speake among many other things of naughty and corrupt custome and of the violent tiranny thereof which so surely detayneth men growne old in wickednes It is familiar and knowne vnto euery body that he that driueth a nayle into a post that he fasteneth it at the first stroke that he giueth with his malet but more firmely at the second stroke but so fast at the third that it can hardly be pulled out againe and the oftner that he knocketh it the faster it sticketh and is pulled out againe with the greater difficulty so in euery one of our wicked actions which we doe vice is driuen deepelier into our soules as if it were with a great mallet and there it sticketh so fast that scarcely any thing may be found by which it may be haled and pulled out Hence it is that not seldome we see that the old age of theÌ„ who haue trifled and spent all their time in vices and wickednes waxeth childish againe through the dissolutenes of theyr forepassed life although that age dooth refuse that inordinatenesse and nature herselfe abhorre that former lewdnes And when as theyr nature is tyred and barren through vices yet Custome which as yet rideth on horse-backe posteth about seeing for vnpossible pleasures so great is the impatient tyrannie of euill Custome Hence it is said in the booke of Iob His bones shall be fâ—â—â—ed with the vices of his youth and they shall he downe in the dust with him Insomuch that these vices haue no limit or end besides that which is common to all other things that is death the last date and terme of all things Hence is that of Aristotle That as for the byting of an Aspe there is no remedy vnlesse the parts infected be cut away so certaine vices are healed only by death Then by death these vices are ended although if we will confesse the truth neyther by death they take theyr finall farwell for they indure alwayes wherfore Iob saith And they shall lye downe in the dust with him The reason of this is because through the diuturnitie of inueterate custome which nowe is turned into nature the appetites and lusts of vices are now rooted in the very bones marrow of the soule no otherwise then the plague or a consumption which sticketh in the bowels of a man carelesse of any cure neyther admitting any medicine This same thing our Sauiour showed in the raising of Lazarus being foure dayes dead whom he called forth of his graue with such clamour and groâ—ing of spirit when as notwithstanding he had raised others being dead with farre easier tokens of difficultie that the Lord might signifie vnto vs how great a miracle it is that God should raise one foure dayes dead and stinking that is to conuert one buried in the custome of sinning The first of these foure dayes as sayth Augustine is the delight of the pleasure in the hart the second is the consent the third the deed the fourth custome and he that hath come to this fourth day as Lazarus is not raysed vp vnlesse it be with the loude voyce teares of our Sauiour All these things do most euidently declare the exceeding great difficulty which procrastination of repentance and conuersion bringeth with it and by how much the longer repentance is deferred by so much it becommeth more difficult Also consequently it is gathered of these how manifest their errour is who say that the amendement of theyr life will hereafter be the easier and doone vvith greater conuenience But let vs yeeld which yet we do not grant that all things should succeed according to thy dreames and that thy vaine hope should not delude thee what wilt thou say of the tyme which in the meane time thou wretchedly loosest and slyppeth away froÌ„ thee without any fruite especially seeing that in thys time thou mightest haue gained vnto thee an incomparable treasure What madnes will it be thought that we may speak according to the iudgement of the world if at that time when a most faire and rich Cittie by force is sacked whilst other souldiours with great furie and violence carry out of it gold siluer and euery precious thing some should sitte by playing at Dice with scullions and slaues It is certaine that they should make no gaine by it Therefore how farre greater madnesse is it that thou whilst all other good men are painfull carefull to gaine heauen that thou I say sittest idely playing and sporting vvith chyldren and onely delighting in the vaine toyes of this world when as in the meane season thou mightest haue gained that that they enioy Furthermore what wilt thou aunswer me not only for those good things which thou loosest but also for those euills which in the meane while thou committest For according to the opinion of Saint Augustine not one sinne is to be committed for the gold of the whole world With what forehead darest thou then in thys time commit so many deadly sinnes one of which is not to be committed for a thousand worlds How darest thou in the meane while offend him and prouoke him vnto anger thorow whose gates thou must enter before vvhose feete thou must lie prostrate vpon the earth and thou shalt be compelled so to doe will thou nill thou of whose handes the estate of thine eternitie dependeth whose mercy thou must implore and sue for with teares and sighes Why then blushest thou not to anger and prouoke him of whose helpe thou hast need euery moment And whom thou shalt finde so much the lesse fauourable vnto thee by howe much the more thou hast prouoked him vnto wrath Very vvell dooth Saint Bearnard reason against such men saying Thou who takest so prepostorous a course perseuering in thy wicked and vngodly life tell me Beleeuest thou that the Lord GOD will forgiue thee thy sinnes or beleeuest thou not If
wilt heare his voyce harden not thy hart that thou maist make answer to hym to morrow yea begin presently to lay to thine hand which the sooner that thou shalt doe it shall be the more easier vnto thee Against them that deferre their repentance to the houre of death CHAP. XXVI IVstly and rightlie ought those things which we haue spoken to be sufficient to confound them who deferre and put off their repentance to the houre of death For if it be so dangerous to prorogue and deferre it to certaine yeeres what wil it be I pray thee to driue it of and reserue it for that most perrilous time But because this errour is too familiar and vsuall in the world and seeing that very many soules doe perrish beeing miserably deceiued by this errour I thought it very necessary to speake somewhat of this vaine opinion of men And although it is very dangerous to speake of this matter for it may minister occasion to weake and fearefull consciences to distrust and despayre yet greater shall the danger be that men know not into what hazard they cast themselues when they deferre theyr repentance to that time So that weighing both dangers in an equall ballance we may manifestly see that this is greater then that by manie degrees For experience teacheth vs that moe soules doe perrish through too much confidence then by too much feare or faint-hartednes For wee are appointed Watchmen as Ezechiell saith that when we see the sword comming we should tell the people of it least those that should be admonished of vs be deceaued and their blood should be required at our hands But because in this life we haue no other light nor no other truth besides the holy Scripture and the monuments of holie Fathers and Doctors of the Church who before vs haue copiouslie and sufficiently handled this matter let vs see what they say of it For I hope that no man will be so rash that will prefer his own opinion before their iudgements In speaking of which we will obserue this order that first we remember what the Fathers haue spoken of this matter and then what the Scripture teacheth vs. ¶ Authorities of certaine Fathers concerning finall repentance BEfore we enter into this disputation let vs presuppose that which Saint Augustine and all the Doctors of the Church do say that we must necessarilie know that as true repentance is properly the worke of God so he can giue it to whom he wil and when he pleaseth Therefore according to this sentence repentance shall be true and sufficient to saluation at what time soeuer it be yea in the houre of death But how sildome thys happeneth I would not that thou shouldest beleeue me or thy selfe but the Saints by whose mouth the holy Ghost hath spoken Therefore it is meet and requisâ—â—e that we relye vpon their iudgements Heare therfore what Saint Augustine doth speak of this matter in his booke of true and false repentance Hee that first is forsaken of his sinnes before he forsake theÌ„ he freely and willingly doth not forsake them but of necessity and constraint But God requireth the libertie of thy will Wherefore they that will not be conuerted vnto the Lord so long as they can sinne and afterwards come vnto conuersion wheÌ„ they can sin no longer they shall not so easily obtaine that they desire And then a little after Augustine declaring how that conuersion is wrought sayth thus Hee is conuerted that is he is wholie and altogether changed who now not onely feareth punishment but hasteth to returne to a good and gracious God Which conuersion albeit it happeneth to any one at the end of his life we are not to despaire of the remission of his sinnes But because so faithfull and absolute a conuersion sildome or neuer happeneth so late repentance is suspicious and to be feared For whom the disease constraineth and the paine terrifieth he shall scarcelie euer come to true conuersion especially when hys children are present whom he hath too much doted on his wife and the world doe call him vnto them For this late repentance is wont to deceaue manie But because God is alwayes almightie he can alwaies help in death whom he pleaseth But because there be many things that doe hinder and doe draw away the languishing and fainting spirit it is most dangerous next to destruction to put of repentance vntill death But it is a very great thing that God should then inspire thee and deale so fauourably with thee If therefore there be any one who then doth seeke for true repentance let him expect the friendly clemencie of God well vnderstanding and feeling that the goodnes of God is greater then his wickednes He that thus escapeth let him liue and not die Hetherto Saint Augustine by whose words it is manifest into how great dangers they do cast themselues headlong who of purpose leaue of their repentance to the houre of death Saint Ambrose also in his bookes of repentance doth largelie dispute of this matter although there be some that attribute this discourse of his to Augustine where amongst many other things he faith He that râ—penteth and reconcileth himselfe at the last cast and passeth hence that is departeth out of his bodie I confesse vnto you that we deny not vnto him that which he desireth but I dare not presume to say that hee went vvell hence I doe not presume I doe not promise I doe not say I deceaue ye not I doe not beguile you I make no promise vnto you A faithfull man liuing well doth safely depart hence He that repenteth and is reconciled whilst he is in health if after he liue well is safe Repeating the same thing a little after he saith But he that repenteth at the last and shall passe hence whether hee safelie passeth or no I am not certaine I can assure him of repenpentance but of further securitie I cannot assure him Marke what I say I will lay downe this more plainly least any one should misse my meaning Doe I say that he shal be damned I doe not say so Neither doe I say that he shall be saued O holie Bishop what other thing doost thou say vnto me Certainlie I know not what I shall say vnto thee I haue said I presume not I promise not I know not Gods determination Wilt thou my brother be deliuered from all doubt wilt thou escape thys ambiguous incertaintie Repent whilst thou art strong and in health For if thou truly repentest whilst thou art in health so the last day finde thee thou art safe Therefore runne that thou maist be reconciled If thou doost so thou art safe Why safe Wilt thou that I shal tell thee Because thou repentedst at that time when thou mightest haue sinned Behold I haue told thee why thou art safe But if then thou wilt repent when thou canst sinne no longer thy sinnes haue dismissed thee and not thou them
mistery of that time it will be counted a ridiculous thing to thinke that these are matters for all times and places which were onely proper for that time We see also in all well ordered common wealths that some things be done ordinarily and alwayes after the same manner and some things that are vsed extraordinarily Ordinary things are common to all but the extraordinary are proper to some certaine The same thing also commeth in vse in the common wealth of God which is his Church And so that of the Apostle is regular and ordinary Whose end shall be according to theyr works signifying that after the common manner of speaking an euill death followeth an euill life and a good death a good life And it is an ordinary thing that those that embrace Vertue and leade a godly life doe enter into an eternal life and those that liue viciously and wickedly to be cast into hell fire This sentence is common and true which the holy Scripture doth beate vpon in many places This the Psalmes doe sing of this the Prophets doe celebrate this the Apostles doe preach of this the Euangelists haue noted The kingly Prophet hath comprehended this in few words when he sayd God spake once and twice I haue also heard the same that power belongeth vnto God And that thou Lord art mercifull for thou rewardest euery man according to his worke This is the summe of all Christian Philosophy Therfore according to this speach of Dauid we say that it is an ordinary thing that as well the righteous as the sinner should receaue a reward at the end of their lifes according to the works which they haue done Yet besides this vniuersall law God can by his especiall grace and fauour bestow mercy vpon some that they should dye the death of the righteous who haue liued the life of sinners as also it may come to passe that he that hath liued like a righteous man in this world by the secret iudgement of God may dye as a sinner As it happeneth vnto them who haue sayled very fortunately in a long voyage and at the very mouth of the Hauen suffer shipwrack Hence it is that Salomon sayth Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth vpward and the breath of the beast that goeth downe to the earth For although it be alwayes in a manner true that their soules who liue like beasts descend to hell and that theirs that liue like men ascend to heauen yet in the secret and particuler iudgement of God this order may be somtimes inuerted Yet it is safe and generall doctrine that a good liuer shall haue a blessed death Therefore no man ought for the praecedent causes to leane to their examples who haue been saued by especiall and particuler grace and sauour for they make no generall rule nor extend themselues to all men but onely to few and those vnknowne Neyther canst thou know whether thou art contayned in that number But if thou obiectest vnto me the repentance of the Niniuites which proceeded from feare least they should all haue beene destroyed within forty dayes consider thou not onely their sharpe and seuere repentance which they made but also their change of life Change thou also thy life after the same manner and the same mercy shall not forsake thee But I perceaue that thou art scarcely recouered of thine infirmity and scarcely risen out of bed seeing that thou straightwayes runnest to the first kind of life and recallest all that which thou didst purpose when thou wast weake Wherfore I leaue thee to consider what I may think of thy repentance ¶ The conclusion of the former disputation WHatsoeuer hath hetherto beene spoken hath not beene spoken to that end that it should shut the gate of saluation or of hope against any man for neyther hath any of the Saints shut it neyther ought any man to shut it but to this end that the wicked may be recalled turned from that refuge and fortresse in which they lurke and are made mightier to perseuere in their iniquities But tell me I pray thee my brother if all the voyces and iudgements of Doctors and holy men if all reasons if the holy and sacred Scripture pronounce so dangerous and perillous things of it how darest thou hope for saluation in so great danger and hazard In whom doest thou trust that will helpe thee in this ieopardy Perhaps thou placest thy hope in thy preparations in thine almes and in thy prayers Thou vnderstoodest a little before how the fiue foolish virgins with great care would haue prepared made ready thēselues after that they had heard the voyce telling them that the Bridegrome came thou hast learned also with what great instancie they knocked and cryed at the doore yet it profited none of them for it proceeded not of true loue or of true repentance Perhaps thou trustest to thy teares which thou wilt poure forth at that time surely vnfained teares at all times are auailable happy is that man that from his very hart can poure thē foorth but remember I pray thee what teares Esau shedde Who as the Apostle saith found no place of repentance though he sought it with teares For he did not weepe for the loue of GOD but for his owne commoditie Or doost thou put thy hope in thy good purposes which thou then settest before thine eyes These are of force vvhen they are true and sincere but remember the purposes of King Antiochus who when hee was in this danger promised such great and magnificent things that it would make a man amazed that readeth them This wicked man saith that booke prayed vnto the Lord of whom he obtayned no mercy The reason was for all things that he purposed proceeded not of the spirit of loue but of seruill feare which is not acceptable For to feare hell may proceede of the meere naturall loue which man beareth to himselfe But that man loueth himselfe is no reason that the kingdome of heauen should be giuen vnto him Insomuch that as no man entred into the pallace of King Assuerus clothed in Sackcloth so it is lawfull for no man to enter into the pallace of God with a seruill garment but all that will enter must be clothed with wedding garments that is adorned and beautified with true loue and charitie Wherefore my brother I pray and intreate thee that thou wouldest reade and consider of these things with great attention that thou after a very short time without all doubt shalt come to this houre and to this ieopardy For thou seest vvith what great swiftnes heauen is turned about and with what velocitie time slippeth and posteth away how soone the thred of thy life shall be cut off The day of destruction is at hand sayth the Prophet and the times that shall come make hast Therefore a little space of time being ouer-past this prophecie shal be fulfilled Then thou shalt
which neuer gaue sucke Then shall they begin to say to the mountaines Fall on vs and to the hils couer vs. For if they doe these things to a greene tree what shall be done to the dry As if the Lord would haue sayd if this tree of life and innocencie in which there is neyther worme found nor any corruption of sinne so burne with the flames of the Diuine iustice for the sinnes of others how thinkest thou will a dry and barren tree burne which not charity but the own proper malignity condemneth to the fire And if in this work of mercy thou doest see so great rigour of iustice what will it be in other matters in which so great mercy is not seene But if thou beest so dunsicall and blockish that thou canst not conceaue of the force of this argument at the least looke vpon the paynes of hell and see what an exceeding huge punishment that is with which the Diuine iustice punisheth one sinne how I say that sinne that is done in a moment is punished with euerlasting torment Behold how this dreadfull and terrible Iustice ioyneth her selfe to this Diuine mercy which thou so greatly extollest What can be thought of more horrible and fearefull then to see how that high and supreame Lord of Lords from the throne of his glory will behold a soule which shall be tortured and tormented so many thousand thousands of yeares with the intollerable punishments of hell yea he shall reioyce that it is thus plagued and it shall be pleasurable vnto him to haue the punishment without end without terme or limit and vtterly without any future hope of remedy O the altitude of the Diuine iustice worthy of all admiration ô secret ô the Abysse of this most deepe profundity What man will be so mad who will be so berest of all reason and iudgement that if he consider these things wil not tremble wil not stand astonished vtterly amazed at such great and dreadfull punishments ¶ Of the works of the Diuine iustice which are seene in this world BVt leauing the bookes of the holy Bible a little let vs goe out and view this visible world for in it we shall finde great arguments of the Diuine iustice I assuredly affirme vnto thee that they that haue their minds illuminated but with the least beame of the Diuine light knowledge doe liue in this world in great feare and exceedingly doe dread the works of the Diuine iudgements because seeking an issue and passage out of them and how to be freed from them they finde none other but onely a simple humble confession of the fayth they haue in Christ. Who doth not tremble to see the vniuersall face of the earth couered with infidelity to see how fruitfull the haruest of the deuils is that fill the lakes of hell with the wretched soules of men to see the greater part of the world yea after the redemption of mankind drowned in the former darknes How small I pray thee is the region of the Christians if it be compared with the Kingdomes and Empires of the Infidels It is but a small corner of the world if thou exceptest the new and late discouered regions of India which are daily more and more discouered and doe come to the fayth All besides the deuils doe oppresse with their tiranny and they mourne vnder the powerfull and tirannicall empire and dominion of the King of darknes where neyther the Sunne of righteousnes shineth where the light of truth riseth not where neyther the water rayneth nor the dew of the Diuine grace descendeth as neyther in the mountaynes of Gelboe where the deuils make such hauock of soules which they gather cast into eternal inextinguible fire For it is without all controuersie that as without the Arke of Noah in the time of the deluge none was saued nor any in the Citty of Iericho without the house of Rahab so none shall be saued that is found without the house of GOD which is his Church But looke vpon that part which Christians inhabit looke vpon the doings and affaires of Christians how they are ordered and managed in this most corrupt and deprauate age of the world and thou shalt confesse that in this misticall body from the sole of the foote to the top of the head there is scarce any one sound member to be found Looke into which so euer you please of the most famous Citties of the world in which at the least there is any footsteps of learning and doctrine yet extant afterwards runne through the lesser Townes Villages Streets and Castels and thou shalt finde those people of whom that of Ieremie may be rightly and truly affirmed Runne to and fro by the streetes of Ierusalem and behold now and know and enquire in the open places thereof if yee can finde a man or if there be any that executeth iudgement and seeketh the truth that is that is righteous in deede and I will spare it Furthermore I say not runne thorow ware-houses shops tauerns publique places of meetings for those places are for the most part dedicated to tryflings toyes lyings and deceits but also the houses of neighbours attend and harken as Ieremie and thou shalt vnderstand that there is no body that speaketh that that is good neyther shalt thou heare any thing besides murmurings lyes cursings oathes and blasphemies heere strifes and contentions doe resound there threatnings and flaunderous reproches are heard No man repenteth him of his wickednes saying What haue I done To be briefe in very deede thou shalt see and vnderstand that the harts tongues of men are busied about no other matters but their earthly owne commodities neither shalt thou heare GOD to be named after any other manner but in oathes and execrable cursings whereby his name is blasphemed which remembrance of his name the Lord complaineth of in the same Prophet saying They remembre mee but not as they ought swearing falsely by my Name So that by the exteriour markes a man can scarcely knowe whether the people be Christian or Heathen vnlesse by that manner that we know bells which are seene a farre of but are knowen by the sound so thou mayest know them by theyr oathes and blasphemies which are heard when thou art neere thē otherwise they could not be knowen or discerned what they are But I pray thee howe can these be numbred with those of whom Esay speaketh All that see thē shall know them that they are the seede which the Lord hath blessed But if the life of Ghristians ought to be such that they that see them a farre of may discerne and iudge them to be the sonnes of GOD what account are they to be made of who rather seeme scoffers mockers and despisers of Christ then true Christians Wherefore seeing that the sinnes enormities of the world are so many and so great how can it be that thou manifestlie doost not see
with corporall eyes sayd Plato she would alure the whole world vnto her If we respect profit what thing is more profitable and supported with greater hope then Vertue for by Vertue we obtayne the chiefest good Length of dayes and gifts of eternity are in her right hand and in her left hand riches and honour If thou art delighted with pleasantnes what greater delight canst thou wish for then a peaceable and a good conscience the sweetnes of charity of peace and of the liberty of the children of God that in the meane time I may say nothing of the consolation of the holy Ghost which is most sweet and pleasant If thou desirest a perdurant and lasting name The righteous shall liue and shall be had in euerlasting remembrance But the memoriall of the wicked shall perish with them If thou be desirous of vvisedome that thou mayst finde the way that leadeth to heauen and the meanes that direct to this end there is no meane more certaine then Vertue which leadeth vnto God If thou desirest to be gracious and acceptable among all men there is not any thing more gracious or more conducent to it then Vertue For as Cicero sayth nothing is more amiable then Vertue nothing that more allureth men vnto loue seeing that for vertue and honesty we loue them whom we neuer saw Such force it hath which is more that we loue it in an enemy Euen as of the conueniency and proportion of the members and lyneaments and of the humours of the naturall body a certaine beauty ariseth which is acceptable to the eyes of men so of the order and vertuous frame of the life laudably led and formed so great a beauty proceedeth that not onely it is most acceptable to the eyes of God and Angels but it is also amiable and beloued of peruerse men and enemies That is truly and simply good which is good in euery respect neyther hath any euill in it Therfore God not without cause sendeth this honorable embasie to a righteous man which we haue set in the forefront of this booke and now againe repeate in the end Say yee surely it shall be well with the iust Say yee so because he is borne vnder an happy starre and that he shall die in a good houre because his life and death is blessed and whatsoeuer after death shall beside him Say yee so vnto him because all things shall goe well with him as well prosperous as aduerfe as well things pleasant as heauy both in quietnes and in labour For all things worke together for the best vnto them that loue God Say yee vnto him although the vvorld be turned topsey turuey and the elements confounded if heauen be ruinated and disturbed let not him feare yea then let him lift vp his head because the day of his redemption is at hand Say yee surely it shall be well with the iust Because a blessing is prepared for him vvhich in excellencie exccedeth all blessings that is God himselfe and that he is free from all euill and from the tiranny of the deuill which is the worst of all euils Say yee surely it shall be well with the iust For his name is vvritten in the booke of life and God the father hath adopted him for his sonne the holy Ghost to be a liuely temple vnto him Say yee surely it shall be well with the iust For that estate which he hath gotten is happy blessed in euery respect And if at any time in any temporal matter it seemeth lesse happy if this be patiently borne it is turned vnto him for a greater good for that which seemed a loose vnto him that is patient is made a gayne vnto him his labour becomes a reward and his warre victory and a perpetuall crowne As often as Laban changed the wages of Iacob his sonne in law he thought that it was profitable vnto him hurtfull to his sonne in law but it fell out cleane contrary for it was vnprofitable vnto him and profitable to his sonne in law Wilt thou then my brother be so cruell to thy selfe and such an enemy that thou shouldest linger to embrace so great a blessing which promiseth on euery side so great good vnto thee What counsaile is more wholsome what more profitable condition or estate of life canst thou follow Blessed are those that are vpright in their way and walke in the law of the Lord saith the Prophet a thousand times blessed are they and blessed againe that keepe his testimonies and seeke him with their whole hart If a good thing as the Philosophers say be the obiect of our will and by how much the more any thing is good by so much the more it deserueth to be loued desired What I pray thee doth make thy will so sottish and insencible that it tasteth not nor embraceth this so vniuersall a good O how much better did that King who sayd I haue chosen the way of thy truth and thy iudgements haue I layd before me I haue cleaued to thy testimonies ô Lord. And in another place O Lord I haue layd vp thy commaundements in mine whole hart He saith not in a corner not in his hand but in the midst or in his whole hart which is the beginning of life the chiefest the best place of all others as if he had sayd This is my best part in which I contriue and determine of all my busines and all my cogitations are in it The men of this world do contrarily for vanity possesseth the chiefest roome of their harts and Gods law lyeth obscured and hid in some corner But this holy man albeit he was a King and troubled with many businesses of his kingdome yet he put them all vnder his feete but placed the law of his Lord in the midst of his hart What hindereth then why thou doost not imitate this good example and embrace so great a good For if thou respectest the bond of the obligation what greater obligation can there be then that which is betweene God and man or only for that cause that he is what he is All the obligations of this world are not worthy of this name if they be compared with this as we haue sayd in the beginning of this booke If thou lookest vnto the benefits what benefits can be greater or more excellent then those that we receaue from the hand of the Lord For besides that he hath created vs and redeemed vs with his blood we haue receaued frō him all that we possesse both within and without our body our soule life health riches grace if so we haue it the continuance of our life our purposes the desires of our harts and all that which hath the name of essence or of goodnes we receaue it I say originally frō him who is the fountaine of all essences and of all goodnes Words are wanting vnto me by which I might set out her
profit let Angels vtter it and not men For what greater profit can there be then to enioy eternal glory to be freed from euerlasting paine which is the reward of Vertue If the temporall commodities of this world doe rather moue vs what commodities can be more excellent or of greater valuation then those twelue priuiledges and prerogatiues which Vertue and the vertuous doe solace and delight themselues the least of which is of more force and validity to quiet a disturbed mind then al the dignities and treasuries of this world I kow not truly what more may be put into the ballance to weigh and peise those things which are promised to Vertue and to her louers The excuses also cauillations which the men of this world are wont to bring for their defence are so ouerthrowne spoiled of vs that I doe not see where such may find a small hole or crany to escape through vnlesse perhaps of set purpose pretenced malice they shut their eyes and eares that they might not see nor heare this manifest and euident truth What remaineth but that the perfection and beauty of Vertue being seene and knowne thou say with Salomon speaking of Wisedome the companion and sister of Vertue I haue loued her and sought her from my youth I desired to marry her such loue had I vnto her beautie In that she is conuersant with God it commendeth her nobility yea the Lord of all things loueth her For shee is the Schoolemistresse of the knowledge of GOD and the chooser out of his works If riches be a possession to be desired in this lyfe vvhat is richer then wisedome that worketh all thinges For if prudence worketh what is it among all things that worketh better then shee If a man loue righteousnes her labours are vertuous for shee teacheth sobernes and prudence righteousnes and strength which are the most profitable things that men can haue in this life If a man desire great experience shee can tell the things that are past and discerne things to come she knoweth the subtisties of words and the solutions of darke sentences she fore-seeth the signes and wonders or euer they come to passe and the successe of seasons and times Therefore I purposed to take her vnto my company knowing that shee would counsaile mee good things and comfort mee in cares and greefes Hetherto the Wise-man Therefore nothing remayneth but that we conclude this matter with the words of Saint Cyprian taken out of an Epistle to a friend of his written of the contempt of this world Therfore sayth he there is one peaceable and faythfull tranquility one solide firme and perpetuall security that if any one be taken out of the whirle-winds of this turbulent world and be founded and anchored in the hauen of safety he lifteth vp his eyes from the earth to heauen and being admitted to the Lords fellowship and now being neere vnto his God in his minde whatsoeuer amongst humane things seemeth great and lofty vnto others he glorieth that it lyeth within the circumference of his conscience Now he can desire nor couet nothing of the world who is greater then the world How stable and vnfoyled a defence is it how celestiall a gard abounding with perpetuall good things to be deliuered from the snares of this entrapping and enthralling world to be purged from these earthly dregs and incorporated into the light of eternal immortality Let him consider of this and view it well ouer whom the deceitful dangerousnes of this pernicious enemy before raged tirannized we are compelled more to loue when we know and condemne what we were and see what we now are and shal be Neyther is this worke brought to passe by rewards bribes and the power of man but it is the free gift of God and easily obtayned As the sunne shineth of his owne accord the day is enlightned a fountaine streameth and a shower falleth so the heauenly spirit infuseth it selfe Afterwards the soule beholding heauen and knowing her Maker she being higher then the earth and more noble then any earthly power beginneth to be that which she beleeueth her selfe to be Onely thou whom the heauenly warfare hath appoynted a Souldier in these spirituall warres hold and keepe thy standing incorrupt and fenced with religious vertues vse continually eyther praying or reading Somtimes talke thou with God and somtimes God with thee let him instruct thee with his precepts let him haue the guiding and ordering of thee whoÌ„ he maketh rich no man shal make poore There can be no penury where the heauenly bounty hath filled and blessed Now coffers stuft with crownes now stately Pallaces and gay buildings will seeme base and vild vnto thee when as thou knowest that thou thy selfe are more beautified and adorned being a house in which the Lord sitteth as in his temple and where the holy Ghost dwelleth Let vs trimme vp this house with the ornaments of innocency let vs enlighten it with the sun-shine of righteousnes This house shall neuer decay through age neyther shall the deckings of it waxe old Whatsoeuer things are counterfet are not lasting neyther doe they yeeld any stability to the poâ—â—â—ssors which haue not the truth of possession This perpertually continueth with a colour vndecayed with honour vntaynted and with splendour vnobscured it cannot be abolished nor extinguished it may be only conuerted into further perfection the body being glorified Hetherto Cyprian Whosoeuer therfore is moued with the reasons and arguments which copiously we haue handled in this booke the grace of God and Diuine inspiration assisting without which all is done in vaine and desireth to embrace so great a blessing of Vertue let him reade the booke following which deliuereth and handleth the method and order how to come vnto Vertue The end of the first booke of the Sinners Guide the Sinners Guyde Written in the Spanish tongue by the learned and reuerend Diuine F. Lewes of Granada ¶ Since translated into Latine Italian and French And now perused and digested into English by Francis Meres Maister of Arts and student in Diuinitie Romans 12. verse 2. ¶ Fashion not your selues like vnto this vvorld but be yee changed by the renuing of your minde that yee may prooue what is the good will of GOD and acceptable and perfect AT LONDON ¶ Printed by I. R. for Iohn Flasket and Paule Linley Anno Dom. 1598. THE PROLOGVE of the second Booke IT sufficeth not to haue perswaded man to embrace Vertue vnlesse also we teach him the manner way how to come to Vertues pallace Therfore after wee haue in the former Booke deliuered many reasons and those verie forcible and perswasible to moue the harts of men to the loue of Vertue now it is meete that we come to the practise and vse of it and that we set down many counsailes and sundry documents which are profitable and which as with a hand may leade men vnto Vertue It is the first steppe vnto Vertue
Christ might doe and whether he might turne he knew not whom torments had not conquered nowe pleasure ouercame At length beeing inspired from aboue hee bit off his tongue and spet it in the face of the harlot kissing him and so he quenched the heate of his lust by the greatnes of his paine Surely a deed maruailous heroick and such an one as hetherto hath not been found eyther in the histories of the Greekes or Latines Let these suffise to shew with howe cheerfull and manly a courage these Saints resisted sinne I could also alledge other examples of them who had rather be tumbled naked vppon thornes and in the deepe of Winter be rouled vpon snow and Ice then they would satisfie the lust of their flesh which burned in them the deuill blowing the coales Wherefore that man that determineth to enter into this way ought firmely to fasten this purpose in his mind more to esteeme the fauour of God as a iust Iudge of things then all the treasures of thys world and alwayes to renounce the lesser that the greater may be kept when he is in the like need In this he ought to ground his life this ought to be his obiect in all his actions let him earnestly craue thys of God in all his prayers to this end he receiueth the Sacraments of the Church Let him gather thys out of Sermons and out of the reading of godly Bookes let him take this out of the creation of the world the forming of all creatures let him reape this fruite especially out of the passion of Christ and out of the rest of the Diuine blessings for the fruite of these is not to offend him to whom so great things are due and according to the soundnes of this holy feare and determination let him measure the quantitie of his profit equalizing the strength and firmnes of his purpose according to the greatnes of the profit so that by how much that is greater or lesser by so much his resolution may be greater or lesser Furthermore euen as he that would fasten a naile into a wall is not content to haue giuen one two or three strokes with a mallet but he so long smiteth it and forceth it forwards vntill it stick fast so this purpose and resolution ought not to be sufficient for a man there to stay let it be what it will but he must daily labour and endeuour that of all things that he seeth heareth readeth or meditateth vpon he take an occasion whereby the loue of God may more and more increase in him that hee may hate and abhorre sinne more and more For by how much the hatred of sinne shall more and more increase in him by so much shall he perceiue himselfe to haue profited and fructified in the Diuine loue and consequently in all vertue But that hee may more firmely persist and continue in thys resolution let him perswade himselfe assuredly beleeue that if all the euils paines and sorrowes of the world from that time it first began to this present houre were put in one ballance together with all the punishments which all the damned suffer in hell and in the other ballance one onely sinne were put it is certaine that he should rather preferre the escape from this sin before all the rest and flye from it more speedily then from all those tribulations and punishments albeit the blindnes of thys Egipt or of thys world is so great that men thinke far otherwise Neyther is it maruell that the men of this world being blind do not see this so great an euill or that they being deade doe not feele a wound so hideously gaping for it is not giuen to blinde men to see any thing although it be very great neyther to the dead to feele a wound albeit it be deadly Therefore I beeing about to handle in this second Booke the doctrine of Vertue which hath sinne for her contrary in the first part I will entreate of the irreconcileable hatred of sins and specially of the remedies of them for the rootes of sinnes beeing pluckt out of the soule the plants of vertues may bee more easily ingrafted of which wee will speake in the second part Neyther onely will we speake here of those sinnes vvhich are accounted horrible and abhominable amongst men but also of those which the world reckoneth not of and which they make no scruple to commit We will begin with those seauen mortall and deadly sinnes which are called capitall because they are the heads and rootes of all other This doctrine will be profitable that a man when he is mightily assaulted and tempted may haue refuge and recourse to this doctrine as to a spirituall defence and that out of many remedies which are set downe in this part hee may select and choose those for himselfe vvhich are more conuenient for his purpose It is true that many of these remedies are common for all kinde of vices yet some are particuler sette downe for certaine vices as when I say against Pryde against Couetousnes and so in the rest Of these in this part we will speake setting downe speciall remedies for euerie sinne that the prouision and furniture of spirituall Armor may be in a readinesse alwaies for vs to vse at all needes We must consider note in this place that we haue no need of Hercules his strength to fight in this spiritual combat neither of winged feete to flie away but of cleere and bright eyes to see for eyes are the chiefest weapons and instruments of this warre for wee are not to fight against flesh blood but against most peeuish and peruerse deuils who are spirituall creatures The reason is because the first roote of all sinnes is the errour of the vnderstanding which is the counsailour of the vvill For thys cause our aduersaries doe especially labour this that they may corrupt our vnderstanding for the vnderstanding beeing corrupted the vvill also is corrupted which is gouerned and guyded of it therefore they endeuour to colour euill with good and to 〈◊〉 vice vnder the show and semblance of vertue and so to hide the temptation that it seemeth not temptation but reason For if they assault any man by ambition by couetousnesse by wrath or desire of reuenge they perswade him that it is altogether agreeable vnto reason to desire this that this or that affection desireth and that it is against reason not to lust after that that it lusteth after After this manner they pretend reason that they may so much the more easily deceiue them who are ruled by reason Wherefore it is very necessary that we should haue sharpe-sighted eyes that wee may see the hooke lurking within the baite least wee be deceaued with the shadowe and likelihood of goodnes Eyes also are necessary vnto vs that wee may see the malignity filthines dangers and losses which vices bring with them that our desires may be restrained by this bridle may feare to
would haue it pierced and thrust through his flesh and bowels that through it he might haue a smarting sence of it as a naile fastned through which might stick in his mind for a perpetuall memoriall to stirre him vp that he might not sleepe and so in some-thing offend his eyes whom he feareth therefore it is most fitly sayd of Ecclesiasticus The feare of the Lord driueth out sinne For by how much any one is feared by so much more diligently we take heed that we doe not offend him It pertayneth to this holy feare not only not to commit euill deeds but also to examine the good least perhaps they be not pure or want their necessary circumstances least a thing of it selfe good by our defect be made euill and vnprofitable For Saint Gregory sayd very well It pertayneth to a righteous man to feare a fault where no fault is Such a feare holy Iob had when he sayd I did feare all my works knowing that thou doost not spare the offender It pertayneth also to this feare that when we are present in the Church at Diuine seruice especially where the holy Sacrament is administred that we chat not nor walke nor vnreuerently gaze about casting our eyes now hether now thether as many doe but we ought to abide there with feare and great reuerence in the presence of the Diuine maiestie who is there after a speciall manner But if thou askest me how this holy affection is begot and bred in our soules I say as I sayd a little before that the loue of God is the especiall roote of it After which seruile feare in like manner auayleth which is the beginning of filiall feare and doth bring it into the soule no otherwise then the bristle doth bring the Shoomakers lyne into the shooe To nourish and increase this holy affection the consideration of the exceeding highnes of the Diuine maiesty is profitable and the consideration of the depth and profundity of Gods iudgements the greatnes of his iustice and the multitude of our sinnes but especially the resistance which we make against Diuine inspirations Therfore it is great wisedome to busie and occupy our minds with these foure considerations for so this holy feare is begot and preserued in our soules Of this feare we haue more copiously spoken in the eight and twenty Chapter of the precedent booke The third vertue which is required in this Diuine worke is trust and confidence that is euen as a sonne in all his troubles and necessities which happen vnto him trusteth and affianceth his repose in his father especially if he be rich and powerfull that his helpe and fatherly prouidence will not at any time faile him so also in this matter let a man haue the hart of a sonne so enlarged that considering he hath such a father as he hath in whose hands is all the power of heauen and earth let him boldly hope and assuredly trust that in all troubles that betide him he shall finde helpe in that father and let him constantly perswade himselfe that if he turne vnto him hoping in the mercy of this heauenly father he shall altogether be deliuered from euill or it shall be ordered to his greater good and further commodity For if the sonne hath so great repose and security in his father how much more ought to be our confidence and trust in God who is our father after a better manner then all earthly fathers and is richer then all the richest men of this world But if thou shalt say that the scarcity of thy good works and deserts and the multitude of the sinnes of thy passed life doe strike a feare into thee whereby thou darest not expect or promise vnto thy selfe so great things from God the remedy will be if when this cogitation commeth into thy mind thou forth-with turnest thy mind from it turnest thy selfe wholy vnto God and to his onely sonne our Sauiour and Mediatour For then presently thou shalt recouer thy courage and thy strength shall increase in him Euen as we add courage vnto them who passe or ferry ouer any swift current or riuer which with the swiftnes and velocity of the running causeth the swimming and giddines of the head and with some call or encouragement admonish them that they should not behold the water but the earth or heauen that they may more securely and healthfully passe so those that be faint-harted and weaklings are to be dealt withall in this busines least heere they looke vpon themselues or their sinnes But perhaps thou wilt say whether shall I turne me that I may procure this strength and confidence vnto me I aunswer that aboue all things the infinite goodnes and mercy of God is to be considered which extendeth it selfe to all the wretchednes of thys world Then his infallible promises are to be weighed in which he promiseth grace and helpe to those that call vpon his Name and doe flie vnto him Neyther are we further to doubt For we see that the enemies themselues doe not denie their fauour beneuolence to them that flie vnto their Tents because they are marked for banishment with some brand or incision but they graciously defend them in the time of danger and heale theyr woundes Consider also the multitude of benefits which hetherto thou hast receaued of his gracious and bountifull hands and of his mercy which thou hast already tryed in benefits past learne to hope for things to come But aboue all these looke vpon Christ with all his torments merrits in which there be especiall causes why we may confidently presume to sue for the fauour of GOD seeing that it is manifest that those merrits on the one part are so great that they cannot be greater and on the other part are the treasuries of the Church for remedy and releefe of all them which stand in need of them These are the cheefest props of our trust and confidence which haue so strengthened and encouraged the Saints in those things they hoped that they were more stedfast and and more vnmoueable then mount Sion But it is greatly to be wondered at that we when we haue so great motiues to moue vs to hope and so iust reasons to perswade vs to trust yet that we are so weake and faint-harted that when we see present danger to hang ouer our heads forth-with wee flie into Egypt to the shadow of Pharaoes Charriots So that many seruants of GOD are found strong and couragious in fastings feruent in prayers liberall in almes deedes and exercised and expert in other vertues but very few are found who haue so steddy a confidence as that holy woman Susanna had Whose hart when she was condemned to death and brought to the place of execution had confidence and trust in the Lord. Hee that desireth moe authorities for the perswasion of this vertue he may bring the whole store-house of the holy Scripture
is to be feared that they haue no care of inward defects which are not seene although they are most diligent in outward which are publique and openly discerned Furthermore the exteriour vertues as they are more manifest vnto men so also they are better known and had in greater esteeme as are Abstinence Watching Discipline corporall austeritie But the interiour vertues Hope Charity Humility Discretion the Feare of God and the Contempt of the world are more occult and hid and therefore albeit they be in greater honour with God yet they are not so valued in mans iudgement And therefore our Sauiour sayth Yee are they that iustifie your selues before men but God knoweth your harts Not dissonant to this is that of Paule Hee is not a Iewe which is a Iew outward Neyther is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh But he is a Iew which is one inwardly and the circumcision of the hart which consisteth in the spirit and not in the letter is circumcision whose praise is not of men but of God Seeing therefore that those externall are in so great estimation among men and are so admired of all and the appetite of selfe honour and excellencie is so subtill and the most powerfull of all the appetites it is to be feared least that affection draw a man rather to loue and seeke after those vertues by which greater honour is expected then those by which lesser yea perhaps among men none For to the loue of these the spirit inuiteth but to the loue of the other the spirit and the flesh inuite together which is exceeding vehement and most vnpatient in her desires Which seeing that it is so not without cause it is to be feared least these two affections should ouer-come that one and should carry the victory from it To thys mischiefe the light of this doctrine opposeth it selfe which defendeth and patronizeth a iuster cause and notwithstanding these commaundeth place to be giuen to this which deserueth more admonishing vs that we loue that and embrace it with greater feruency which is more profitable and more necessary ¶ The third instruction BY that also wee gather that as often as it happeneth that these vertues doe so concurre at one and the selfe same time that we cannot entertaine and content them altogether then according to the rule of Gods precepts the lesser must giue place to the greater Otherwise order will be inuerted and disturbed This Saint Bernard teacheth in his booke of the precept and the dispensation Furthermore sayth he many things are inuented and ordayned not because we may not liue otherwise but because so to liue is more expedient neyther are they deuised for any other end then for the preseruing and good of charity So long therfore as they respect and ayme at charity they stand firme and vnmoueable and may not be changed without offence no not of the inuenters and ordayners But if contrarily at any time they seeme contrary vnto charity they are to be changed and altered but onely of those to whom it is giuen to see this and to whom this busines is committed to be ouer-seene and not of euery ouer-weening Disciplinarian and giddy-braind humorist seemeth it not most meete and requisite that those things that were inuented for Charity should also for charity when it seemeth conuenient be eyther omitted or intermitted or be changed into some other thing more commodious For otherwise without doubt it is most vniust if ordinances and constitutions onely deuised for charity should be held and maintayned against charity Therefore let them be held assuredly and firmely immutable yea amongst Prelates which are grounded vpon necessary considerations but so farre forth as they serue vnto charity Hetherto are the words of Saint Bernard ¶ The fourth instruction TWo kinds of iustice and righteousnes are gathered out of this same Doctrine one is true the other false True righteousnes and iustice comprehendeth together both things internall and externall which are required to the preseruing of them That which is false and counterfeit obserueth some externall without internall without the loue and feare of God without humility without deuotion and without other internall vertues Like to this was the righteousnes of the Phariseis of whom the Lord speaketh in Mathew Woe sayth hee vnto you Scribes and Phariseis hipocrits for ye tythe Mint and Annise and Cummin and haue left the waightier matters of the law iudgement mercy and fayth these ought ye to haue done and not to leaue the other vndone Ye blind guides which straine out a gnat and swallow a Camell Woe vnto you Scribes and Phariseis hypocrits for ye make cleane the vtter side of the cup and of the platter but within they are full of bribery and excesse And a little after Woe vnto you Scribes and Phariseis hypocrits for ye are like vnto paynted Sepulchers which indeede appeare beautifull outward but are within full of dead mens bones and of all filthines Of the same kind is that righteousnes which so often is reprehended of God in the Scriptures by the Prophets for whom the mouth of one speaketh This people honoureth me with their mouth and glorifieth me with their lips but their hart is farre from me and the feare which they haue vnto me proceedeth of a commaundement that is taught of men but they haue despised my law And in another place Why offer ye so many sacrifices vnto me sayth the Lord I am full of the burnt offerings of vveathers and of the fatnes of fed beasts I haue no pleasure in the blood of bullocks lambs and goates Offer me no moe oblations for it is but lost labour Incense is an abhominable thing vnto me I may not away with your new moones your Sabaoths and solemne meetings your solemne assemblies are wicked I hate your new moones and appointed feasts euen from my very hart they make me weary I cannot abide them What meaneth this vvhat doth God condemne that he appoynted and expresly commaunded especially seeing that they be the acts of the noblest vertue which we call Religion whose proper function and duty is to worship God with the seruice of adoration and Religion No certainly but he condemneth the men that contenting themselues with those externall ceremonies had no regard nor care of true righteousnes and the feare of the Lord as forth-with he declareth saying Wash you make you cleane put away your euill thoughts out of my sight cease from doing of euill learne to doe well apply your selues to equity deliuer the oppressed helpe the fatherles to his right let the widdowes complaine come before you And then goe to sayth the Lord let vs talke together though your sinnes be as red as scarlet they shall be as white as snow and though they were like purple they shall be as white as wooll In another place he repeateth the same thing and that with greater vehemency He that slayeth sayth he an Oxe for me
solitary and monasticall lyues A wonderfull and excellent saying of Petrus Damianus of the oureof death Nothing auaileth in death but vertue Prou. 11. Ecclesiast 1. Apoc. 14. Iob. 11. In the 10. booke of his Morals Cap. 21. Prou. 14. The righteous feareth not in the houre of death Paulinus in the life of Ambrose In death prosperity doth nothing profit nor aduersity hurt A similitude Apoc 22 Math 19 Vertue hath one inconuenience Math 13 Esay 14 Psalm 144. â— Kings 1. Psalm 34 Prou 20 Cant 8 Ecclesi 32. Prou. 18. Diuers refuges of sinners Againt theÌ„ that defer their repentance August in the 8 booke of his confessions the 5. chap. The stâ—te of the question Gregory in an homily Luke 12. Apoc. â— The iust iudgement of God Ecclesi 5. Causes froÌ„ whence the difficulty of conuersion ariseth Ierome vnto Celantia Chap. 4. Bernard Luke 11 Esay 62 Osea 7 and the 9. Apoc 11 A similitude A similitude Whether nowâ— or hereafter it is more easie to turne vnto God A similitude Ecclus 10 The force of euillcustome A similitude The Allegory of Lazarus foure dayes dead The losse of time A similitude See August his tenne strings The sinnes which wee nowe commit wee heereafter shal deplore lament in vaine Psal. 6. A similitude The reliques of sinne remaine after the sinne How absurd a thing it is to reserue thy repeÌ„tance for old age A similitude Seneca in his book of the shortnes of life The greatnes of the satisfaction Deferring of repentance a certaine infidelity Greg. in his Morals Repentance is not to be deferred in regard of benefits receaued at Gods hand Ecclesi 18. Not to be deferred in regard of predestination We offer the best part to the world the worst to God Seneca in his 109. Epi. Mal. 1. Deut. 25. What we owe vnto God in respect of our redemtion Eccles. 12. An excellent exposition of this place of Eccles. The conclusion of the first obiection Ecclus 25 Ecclus 17. Iohn 5. Psalm 95 It is dangerous to dispute of finall repentance Ezech. 35 Augustine of true and false repentance ca 17 In the same place To be conuerted what it is In his exhortation to repentaÌ„ce which forthwith foloweth in his second booke of repentance The iudgement of Isidore In the ninth tome of Plantynes edition a little before the end Greg in his 18 book of his Morals chap. 5. Iob. 27. Prou. 28. Math. 25. The conclusion of the Schoole man The first reason of the Schoole man The euill disposition and temperature of the body is an impediment of coÌ„templation The 2 reason of the Schole-man Aug. in hys booke of true false repentance chap 17. 2 Kings 16 2 Kings 19 3 Kings 2. A similitude The thyrd reason of the Schole-man The fourth reason of the School-man Prou â— Math 24 Math. 25. August in an Epistle to Dios. Many miraculous and wonderful things reserued to the comming of Christ. Euseb. Emiss of the good theefe A similitude 2 Cor. 11. Psal. 62. The iudgements of God A similitude Eccles. 3. An obiection of the repentance of the Niniuites Heb 12 2 Macha 9 Hester 4 Deut 32 Esay 55 Psalm 129 The difference between the true Prophets and the false Ierem 37 Psalm 90 Whence the Diuine iustice is knowne A similitude All men ought to feare Whence feare is in-gendered The beginning of the wayes of the Lord. The fall of deuills Esay 14 The fall of Adam Gen. 7. Gen. 19. Numb 16. Leuit. 10 Acts 5. The hidden and secret iudgements of God Luke 23. The great infidelity of men 2 Kings 2. Ierem 5 Chap 8 In the foresaid chap. Esay 61 2 Reg 24 Ecclus 23 Psalm 69 Saint Augustine Psalm 147 Luke 13 Math 7 1 Pet 3. Eccles 1 Math 26 A similitude 1 Tim. 2. What it is to trust in God Ecclesi 5. The promises of God belong to the righteous and the thretnings to the vnrighteous Psal. 11. Esd. 8. Psal. 37. Psal. 4. August in his 11. homily among his 50. Bernard in his 56. Sermon amongst his small ones Vertue a friend vnto reason Gal 5. Rom 7. 4 Kings 6. Psal. 119. Psalm 19 Math 1 Esay 40 Esay 10 FroÌ„ whence the difficultie of vertue ariseth Ezech 11. Rom 4. Esay 41 For what end the reliques of sins euill appetites remaine in vs. Psalm 27 Another obiection with the answer Deut. 30. Spirituall circumcisioÌ„ Deut. 10. Augustine A similitude Esay 26. The commaundements of God are not impossible Deut. 30. 2 Iohn 5. August of holy widdowhood In the 13. book of his coÌ„fessions Rom. 8. Petrus Rauennas vppon that Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God c. Those things which are vncleane to the world are cleane to the righteous Exod. 8. Acts 5 Bernard in his small Sermons chap. 30. A similitude Prou 4 The way of the wicked hard and difficult Psalm 119 Psalm 17 Psalm 119 Math 11 Osea 11 Exod 3 2 Cor 4 Esay 40 The great changes â—lterations which the hand of the highest worketh The disciples of Christ were on a suddaine made learned Cyprian in his 2 book and 2 Epist. Augustine in the 8 book of his Confessions Chap. 11. Chap. 11. In the 9 book of his Confessions chap. 1. What euils are in the world No felicitie of the world lasting Eccles 11 Wisdom 5 Esay 29 Baruch 3 Some miseries are coÌ„mon both to the good and euill some proper onely to the wicked Wisdom 5 Euils of GOD. Gene 4 Deut 7. PunishmeÌ„ts inflicted vpon the wicked by the Ministers of God The euils that passions bring Psal. 11. Athanasius in the life of Saint Anthony Prou. 6. Ecclesi 13. The blindnes of men See Cyprian in his 2 booke and 2 Epistle Psal. 14. Hosea 4. Ierem 9 Psalm 55 Gene 25 What the world is Psalm 55. S. Bernard The world a hell Obiectiue beatitude A similitude Onely God can satisfie the hart of man The nature of the Seamans needle Psal. 45. S. Gregory deplored the losse of his quiet sweet solitary life Aug. of the manners of the Church 1. booke 3. chap. No man happy in this world Eccle 1 Psalm 4. Psalm 31. The world an hypocrite S. Augustine In vertue all perfections are found Plato Prou 3. Psal. 112. Psal. 9. Cicero in Loeli A similitude Vertue is loued in an enemy Rom. 8. Gen. 31. Psalm 119. In the same Psalm Wisdom 8. Cyprian in his 2 book and 2 Epist. Baruch 3 Ierem 9 Euill cuâ—toâ—e A similitude The world The deuill Ecclesiast 2 Moe for vs then against vs. A firme resolution is to be planted in the soule A similitude Iorome in the life of Paule the Hermite A similitude The proposition of this Booke Ezech â— A similitude 1 Iohn 2 Tob 4. August to a certaine Earle Bernard in a certaine Sermon Bernard in a Sermon 1 Cor 15. Wisdom 6. A saying of Tigranes King of the Armenians 1 Peter 5. Greg. in the 9. book of his Morals Chap. 11 Iob 9. See Bernard