to perform whilst here good works When J. Christ shall reward every one he doth not say it shall be according to his Faith but according to his works When St. John Rev. 2.3 speaks of the Angels of the Seven Churches he regards only their Works I was hungry and ye gave me to eat Thirsty and ye gave to drink Naked and ye have cloathed me Stranger and ye received me in c. ye are Blessed of my Father come and possess the Kingdom which is prepared for you from the beginning of the World. Therefore when St. Paul saith that Man is justified by Faith without works v. 8. and St. James assures that he is not Justified by Faith without Works v. 24. they do not contradict one another because they speak in a different sense St. Paul speaks of natural works not vivified by Grace He saith that Faith doth justifie without these works for if we were justified by 'em we should have whereof to Glory our Salvation should be in our Power and depend upon our natural strength as some Hereticks would have it to be And St. James speaks of supernatural works vivified by Grace which do Justifie us without having whereof to Glory because we are indebted to the Grace of God for it and which can no more be without a true and Living Faith than a Body can be vivified without a Soul. Break off thy Sins by Righteousness and thine Iniquities by shewing mercy to the Poor Dan. 4.27 CHAP. XXX Images are of great advantage to instruct us and inflame our Devotion WHen I say that Images are of great advantage to instruct us and inflame our Devotion I do not mean the Figures of Venus nor Aretin's Postures nor the Images that are made to represent God Almighty The former are forbidden by the Moral Law being onely fit to corrupt us and the latter are forbidden by the Divine Law because God being not a Creature but infinitely above all Creatures cannot be represented by them To whom will ye liken God or what likeness will ye compare unto him Isa 40.18 Take ye good heed unto your selves for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the Lord spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire lest yé corrupt your selves and make you a graven Image the Similitude of any Figure the likeness of Male or Female Deut. 4.15 I speak onely of the Images of Saints Martyrs Apostles of the blessed Virgin and Christ And I say that they being of great advantage to teach us and inflame our Devotion ought to ba kept not onely in our Churches but also in our Houses For in looking upon them we quickly and without trouble learn how they lived what they did and suffered and at the same time we are incited to follow their good Examples and imitate their Vertues Why shall we condemn their Images rather than their Writings If you tell me it is because they are misused by some and that many ignorant and superstitious Persons do kiss and worship them Pray and offer Frankincense unto them I answer we must correct the abuse but not prohibit the having them in our Churches and Houses The abuse of any thing ought not wholly to destroy the use of it otherwise the best things would be forbidden and taken from us because they are sometimes misused The Holy Scripture would be taken away from us because there are some that do make a bad use of it and alledge it to authorise their erroneous opinions and criminal actions The use of Wine would be forbidden because many are drunk with it and is the cause of several disorders Our Feet and Hands would be cut off and our Eyes pluckt out from our Heads even our Souls from our Bodies because there are a great many that do misuse all these CHAP. XXXI Bad Companions are rather to be avoided than the Plague it self THe Plague can onely infect our Bodies but wicked Company both Body and Soul. Therefore you must avoid and fear them more than you do the presence of a Toad or Serpent you ought to forsake their Company with a greater dilegence than you do Houses that you know to be infected with Plague Come out from amongst them and be ye separate 2 Cor. 6.17 wicked Men are dangerous and pernicious they lay their nets to ensnare you and to take away your goods honour life and the grace of God. They laugh at all things and would be lookt upon couragious and undaunted If you will believe them vice is vertue and vertue vice They say that vengeance is a greatness of courage that pride is gravity that dissimulation is a complement that cheat is a subtilty of wit that devotion is but a bigotery fit onely for women and that to give alms to the needy is vain glory They corrupt the best things and to the worst they give the colour of good How many have shortned the course of their life and been ruined both in their goods and reputation onely for having kept ill Company The Holy Prophet whom God sent into Samaria was killed by a Lyon upon the High-way because he ate and drunk with a false Prophet 1 King. 1. Jeosaphat being in Company with the wicked Ahab was ready to be killed King. 22 Peter keeping ill Company denied his Master He that toucheth pitch shall be defiled 2 Eccl. 22.1 but if we could search into Hell how many should we see there burning weeping lamenting onely for not having left ill Company As Birds of the same feathers flie together so flock together those that live wickedly and it is as hard to them that keep ill Company to be good and vertuous as to swim against the stream of a rapide River Therefore when God speaks to your hearts and excites you to forsake bad Company you must not delay As soon as J. Christ had cast his Eyes of Mercy and Compassion upon Peter he forsook the ill Company wherein he was engaged he went out and wept bitterly for his sins Luc. 22.62 CHAP. XXXII The Sinner being to die shortly and knowing not when nor how ought not to delay his Conversion HOW many do we find that abounding in Richess speak thus to themselves Thou hast many goods lay'd up for many Years take thine ease eat and drink and be Merry But God saith unto them ye Fools this night your Souls shall be required of you then whose shall these things be which you have provided Luk. 12.19 indeed the Life of Man is so short and uncertain that it may surPrize him in that very time when he thinks himself most secure Man saith Job born of a Woman is of few days and full of trouble he comes forth like a Flower and is cut down he flieth also as a shadow and eontinues not His Life is like the water which runs continually 't is like a Cobweb which is suddenly swept away with a broom Let us go and see the Coffin of our Fathers and Friends and
help him and calls upon the name of Jesus but he receives no comfort On the contrary he hears his Saviour speaking thus unto him I did oftentimes speak to thy heart I gave thee a thousand inspirations to avoid sin and thou wouldst not hear me I sent Prophets Apostles good Ministers to declare my will to instruct and perswade thee to embrace vertue I did upon a Cross dye like a Criminal to save thee and manifest the excess of my Love. Then I did open my Arms to embrace thee and bow my head to kiss thee and thou hadst rather fall into the Arms of a lascivious Woman and take more pleasure in her kindness than in mine begone depart from me now when thou callest upon me I will not hear thee Thus this poor Soul finding neither help nor any inward comfort full of fright She shall say unfortunate that I am why did I not make a better use of the Grace of God And of the time allowed unto me to work out my eternal Salvation Let the day perish wherein I was born and the night in which it was said there is a Man-child Conceived Why dyed I not from the Womb Why did I not give up the Ghost when I came out of the Belly Why did the Knees prevent me or why the Breast that I should suck Cursed be the Man that shewed my Father saying a Child is born unto thee and comforted him Job 3. in that lamentable condition being enraged and in despair she will say Mountains and Rocks fall on me and hide me from the face of him that setteth on the Throne and from the wrath of the Lamb for the great day of his wrath is come and who shall be able to stand Rev. 6.16 CHAP. XXXVI The Condition of a Sinner after Death THE Wicked and Criminal Soul being separated from its Body hears the Sentence of her Condemnation whereof she cannot appeal to any other Depart from me thou Cursed into Everlasting Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels For I was a Hungry and thou gaveth me no Meat Thirsty and thou gaveth me no Drink Stranger and thou didst not receive me in Naked and didst not cloath me Sick and in Prison and didst not visite me And then shall she say unto him when saw I thee an Hungred or Thirsty or Stranger or Naked or Sick or in Prison and did not Minister unto thee then shall he answer her saying Verily I say unto thee in as much as thou didst it not to one of the least of these thou didst it not to me Mat. 25.42 43 44 45. Then she seeth her self for ever separated from the sweet presence of God from the pleasant Company of all Blessed Souls from those unspeakable delights and Soverain honours that are in Heaven She seeth her self environ'd with an innumerable number of Devils and with them precipitated into an Everlasting Fire wherein she shall weep sigh and lament perpetually and endure an intolerable stink pain and fear without any hope of the least assistance The cries of Korah Dathan and Abyron when they saw themselves swallow'd up in the Earth are not to be compared with hers and that which grieves her the more is because she seeth no Remedy for her Torments and hath deserved all these Pains for few worldly pleasures that are rather Imaginary than true She knows that in that place of darkness horror and confusion she shall be forced to spill more Tears than there are drops of Water in the Sea that after she hath endured and cried as many Years as there are sands on the Sea shore or Leaves on the Trees in the Summer-time she is no nearer to the end of her Torments than at the first day and this consideration is the cause of her rage and despair for as often as she thinks that her Pains shall never end this consideration of never is to her an other Hell in the middle of Hell. CHAP. XXXVII The Condition of a Holy Soul near the Separation from its Body by Death REpresent to your selves any Holy Man or Woman whose Conversation was always honest and who did always strive to Answer Gods Inspirations fulfill his Will in all things and obey his holy Commandments When Death presents it self unto him and seeth that by sickness or otherwise his Soul shall be separated from his Body he doth not grow pail for fear on the contrary he seems to be very glad of such a news bearing this Testimony in his Conscience that he is going to rest from his Labors and be for ever united to the Object of his Love. He is assured he is going to his Heavenly Father into that new Hierusalem the City of his God wherein he is to taste Everlasting Pleasures and enjoy for ever the sweet presence of his beloved and the lovely Company of all blessed Souls In the mean time he orders his business and disposing himself to forsake this World he leaves to his Family and Friends this Holy Counsel to serve Love and Worship the true God all the Days of their Life When his Body is dying and grow weak when his tongue begins to stammer and his Eyes to change then the Spirit of God enlightens and fortifies his Soul she sighs and saith with St. Paul Cupio dissolvi esse cum Christo sometimes with David she utters these words as the Heart panteth after the Water brooks so panteth my Soul after the O God. Othertimes she Sings with Simeon now let thy Servant depart in Peace according to thy word Sometimes with St. Stephen Lord Jesus receive my Spirit and very often with her Saviour into thy hands O Lord I recommend my Spirit And as soon as her Soul is separated from her Body then the holy Angels take and carry her into Heaven as they carried that of Lazerus into Abrahams Bosom CHAP. XXXVIII The Condition of an holy Soul after She is separated from her Body AS soon as the Holy Soul is gone out from her Body She is as I have said just now carried into Heaven by the Holy Angels then in the presence of all Blessed Souls Friends and Relations dead in the Grace of God she hath this comfort to hear these words Come thou Blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom which is prepared for thee from the beginning of the World. Well done and well come good and faithfull Servant enter into thy Masters Joy receive the Crown of Glory promised to them that are faithfull till death If for the maintaining the truth of the Gospel she hath endured in this world several Torments she shall receive the Crown of Martyrdom If she did overcome the lusts of the flesh and submit her concupiscence to the law of the Spirit she shall obtain the Crown of Virginity If in Marriage she were always faithfull and did never defile her Conjugal Bed she shall receive the Crown of Chastity If she did always give good example relieve the needy preach the word of God convert
nôtre Devotion je n'entend pas les Figures de Venus in les Postures d'Aretin ni les Images que l'on fait pour representer Dieu Les premieres sont deffendues par la Loy Morale puisqu'elles ne servent qu'a nous pervertir Et les autres sont deffendues par la Loy de Dieu parceque n'etant pas Creature mais infiniment au dessus de toutes les Creatures il ne peut pas ètre representé par elles à qui ferez vous ressembler le Dieu fort quelle ressemblence luy approprierez vous Esa 40.18 Vous pendrez bien garde sur vos ames car vous n'avez veu ressemblance aucune au jour que l'Eternel vôtre Dieu a parlé en Horeb du milieu du feu depeurque vous ne vous corrompiez ne vous faciez quelque Image tailleé ou ressemblance qui vous represente chose quelleconque qui soit effigie de Mâle ou de Femelle Deut. 4.15 Je parle seulement des Images des Saincts des Martyrs des Apotres de la bien hereuse vierge de Christ Et je pense qu' etants de grande utilité pour nous instruire enflamer nôtre pieté elles devroient etre conservees non seulement dans nos Temples mais encore dans nos maisons Car en les regardants nous apprenons promptement sans peine comment ils ont vecu ce qu'ils ont souffert sommes en même temps invitez a suivre leurs bons examples a imiter leurs vertus Pourquoy condamnerons nous leur Images plutost que leurs écrits Et si vouz me dites que c'est parceque on en abuse que plusieurs ignorants superstitieux les baisent les adorent les prient et leur presentent de l'Encens Je répond qu'il faut corriger l'Abus des Images mais qu'il ne faut pas deffendre de les placer dans nos Eglises et dans nos maisons l'Abus d'une chose ne doit pas en deffendre entierement l'usage autrement il nous faudroit deffendre et retrancher les meilleures choses parceque nous en abusons quelquefois Il nous faudroit ôter la Ste. Ecriture dantantqu'il y en a qui en font un mauvais usage et qui s'en servent pour authoriser leurs opinions erronees et mechantes actions Il faudroit nous retrancher l'usage du vin parceque plusieurs s'enyvrent et qu'il est la cause de beaucoup de desordres Il nous faudroit Couper les pieds les maîns et nous arracher les yeux de la tête voire même l'Ame du Corps parcequ'il y a quantité de personnes qui abusent de toutes ces parties CHAP. XXXI Les mauvaises Compagnies sont a eviter plus que la Peste LA Peste ne sçauroit infecter que nos corps mais les mauvaises Compagnies infectent nos corps nos ames C'est pourquoy il nous les faut Craindre eviter plusque nous ne faisons la presence d'un Crapaut ou d'un serpent Vous devez abandonner leur Compagnie avec plus de diligence que vous n'evitez les maisons que vous sçavez être pestifereés Sortez du milieu d'eux vons en separez 2 Cor. 6.17 les mechants sont dangereux pernicieux Ils vous tendent des filets pour vous surprendre vous faire perdre vos biens vôtre honneur vôtre vie la Grace de Dieu Ils se moquent de tout font les esprits forts Ils font passer le vice pour la vertu la vertu pour le vice Ils disent que la vengence est une grandeur de courage que l'orgueil est une Gravité que la dissimulation est un compliment que la tromperie est une subtilité d'esprit que la Devotion est une bigoterie qui n'est propre qu'aux femmes que de donner l'aumône aux pauvres est une vaine gloire Ils corrompent les meilleures choses aux plus mauvaises ils donnent l'apparence du bien Combien y en a il qui ont abregé le cours de leur vie ont eté ruinez dans leur biens dans leur reputation purement pour avoir frequentè de mauvaifes compagnies Le Prophete que Dieu en voyaen Samarie fut tué par un Lion surle grand chemin parce qu'il mangea but avec un faux Prophete 1 Roys 1 Josaphat etant en la compagnie du méchant Achab fut sur le point d'etre tué 1 Roys 22. Pierre etant en mauvaise compagnie renia son Maitre celuy qui maniera de la poix sera souillé Eccl. Et si nous pouvions penetrer dedans l'Enfer combien y en verrions nous qui brulent pleurent gemissent purement pour avoir frequenté les mauvaises compagnies Come les oy seaux de même plumage volent ensemble ainsi s'attroupent les personnes dont les moeurs sont corrompues Et à ceux qui se plaisent dans la compagnie des méchants il leur est aussi dificile d'etre bons vertueux que de nager contre le courant d'une riviere fort rapide C'est pourquoy quand Dieu parle à vôtre coeur vous inspire d'abandonner les méchantes compagnies il ne faut pas differer Aussy tot que J. Christ eut jeté ses yeux de compassion sur Pierre il abandonna la mauvaise compagnie ou il etoit il sortit dehors pleura amerement son peché Luc. 22.62 CHAP. XXXII Le Pecheur devant mourir bientôt ne sçachant pas quand ni comment ne doit pas differer sa conversion COmbien en trove-on qui abondants en richesses se disent à eux mêmes tu as beaucoup de biens amassez pour beaucoup d'anneés repose toy mange boi fai grand chere mais Dieu leur dit Insensez en cette même nuit on vous redemandera vôtre Ame les choses que vous avez apprêtées à qui seront elles Luc 12.19 en veritê la vie de l'homme est si courte si incertaine qu'elle peut le surprendre dans le temps même qu'il croit être le plus assuré L'homme dit Jeb né de la femme est de ocurte vie plein d'ennny Il sort comme une fleur puis est coupé s'enfuit comme l'ombre qui n'arrête point 14.1 Sa vie est comme l'eaue qui coule continuellement elle est semblable à la toile d'Araignée qui est incontinent defaite par un coup de balay Allons voir le Sepulchre de nos Peres de nos amis reslouvenons nous que bientôt nous devons être mis en leur places Le sable coule
came unto me Mat. 25.35 He shall render to every one according to his works to them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for Glory and Honour and Immortality eternal life but unto them that are contentious and do not obey the truth but obey unrighteousness indignation and Wrath Rom. 2.6 By those Texts of the Holy Scripture it is as clear as the day at Noon that Predestination is not without a respect to our Faith Obedience and good Actions CHAP. XXVIII How Reprobation is to be understood IT is a gross impious and blasphemous impiety to assert that God did by his immutable decree appoint the greatest part of Men to eternal damnation without having any regard to their infidelity disobedience and bad actions as Calvin will have it to be lib. 3. c. 23. Sect. 1 2. Reprobation is an Act of God's hatred and God hates and punishes nothing but Sin which no Creature can be guilty of before its existence Wherefore the existence of the Creature and his disobedience to Gods Commandments ought to be presuppos'd before he be doom'd to eternal damnation I mean before he can be hated and condemn'd by God into Hells Fire From whence it follows when God did by eternal decree appoint the greatest number of Man-kind to eternal damnation it was in consideration of their infidelity disobedience to his Commandments or wicked Actions And to let you see that what I say is very well grounded pray mark these Texts following Go ye cursed depart from me into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels mark the reason of it for I was an hungred and ye gave me no meat I was thirsty and ye gave me no drink I was a stranger and ye took me not in naked and ye clothed me not sick and in prison and ye visited me not Mat. 25. The wicked saith David shall be turned into Hell Ps 9.17 they shall have their portion in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone Ps 11.6 Rev. 21.8 the wrath of God cometh upon the Children of disobedience Eph. 3.6 Mans destruction is of himself saith Hosea The Angels which kept not their first estate and Sodom giving himself over to fornication are set forth for an example 2 Pet. 2. When God punished them 't was for their sins and when in his eternal decree he condemned them to everlasting flames 't was in regard of their sins because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the Children of disobedience Eph. 5.6 though Calvin saith that it is for no other cause but because he wills l. 3. c. 23. S. 1 2. Gods decree is eternal and immutable that is certain but it is subsequent and conditional I grant he hath appointed the greatest part of Men to eternal damnation but it is in regard of their infidelity or disobedience to his Commandments Their disobedience is antecedent and presupos'd the Soul that sinneth shall dye Reprobation is but conditional that is to say no man is Reprobate but upon condition he transgresses Gods Commandments or be unfaithful But some will say I grant predestination and Reprobation to be as you have explain'd them before I grant it is in respect of my Faith or Infidelity Obedience or Disobedience to Gods Commandments yet that hinders not his decree to be immutable For as he hath the knowledge of all things which have been are and shall be and because nothing can be added to his knowledge he knows whether I shall be faithfull or unfaithfull obedient or disobedient to his Commandments and therefore he knows whether I shall be sav'd or damn'd Therefore I have no need to trouble my self for whatsoever I do I can never change Gods knowledge and eternal decree concerning my salvation or damnation Answer It is true we cannot alter Gods knowledge it is certain his decrees are immutable and that we shall be either saved or damned But knowing not which of the two and being certain that God will have all Men to be saved and none to perish and that for this cause he gives his grace unto all it being their fault if they be not saved as it appears by several Texts of the Holy Scripture Mans destruction is of himself Hos 13.9 Whilst we are in this World we ought to entertain this thought that we are of the number of the Elect. And because the Tree is known by its Fruit and the mark of the Elect is to do good and avoid evil embrace vertue and eschew vice and wholly obey the will of God. Therefore we ought to live conformable to those Rules all the days of our life this is the Character of a predestinated Soul which we ought to endeavour to carry along with us to our Grave CHAP. XXIX Gods Works are necessary to Salvation WE speak of Faith we extol it in Sermons assert we are thereby Justified without having any regard to good works and to confirm what we say we alledge Both the words of St. Paul and the example of Abraham If Abraham were Justified by works he hath whereof to Glory but not before God. Abraham believed God and it was counted unto him for Righteousness even as David discribeth the Blessedness of the Man unto whom God imputeth Righteousness without works Rom. 4.2.6 which is the cause that many thinking too much upon Faith care very little to practice good works But they deceive themselves for they ought to Remember there are two sorts of Faith one Dead and another Living The Living Faith which only Justifies our Souls and whereby we are sav'd is never without good works as a good Tree is never without Fruit in its Season the Sun without Light Fire without Heat and Water without moisture Every Faith without good works is Dead saith St. James 3.17 What doth is profit my Brethren though a Man saith he hath Faith and have not works can Faith save him If a Brother or Sister be naked destitute of daily food and one of you say unto them depart in Peace be ye warmed and filled notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needfull to the Body what doth it Profit even so Faith if it hath no works is Dead being alone yea a Man may say thou hast Faith and I have Works shew me thy Faith without thy Works and I will shew thee my Faith by my works thou believeth that there is one God thou doest well the Devils also believe and tremble But wilt thou know O vain Man that Faith without Works is Dead was not Abraham our Father Justified by works when he had offered Isaac his Son upon the Altar seest thou how Faith wrought with his works and by works was Faith made perfect ye see then how that by works a Man is justified and not by Faith only for as the Body without Spirit is Dead so Faith without works is Dead also It profits nothing neither to our Justification nor Salvation Whosoever therefore will after his Death obtain an eternal Salvation ought