had bene no sinne to be the meane and occasion of his sufferinge it had not bene neidfull for him to haue suffered as he did It is not agreed emonge the learned diuines whether the sonne of God shoulde haue bene incarnate Summa S. Thomae 3. q. 1. artic 2. 3. quaest 46. artic 1. 2. If man had not sinned Christe had not suffered anie paines or deathe in case man had not sinned for some doe affirme it and some doe denie it but this is holden for a most certaine treuthe that in case man had not sinned the sonne of God shoulde not haue died Whereby it appeareth that our sinnes were the verie cause that moued him to suffer all these miseries and that our sinnes were they that threwe him into this prison and that our sinnes were they that nayled him vpon the crosse And thinke not because they were not thy sinnes alone which were the cause hereof that thou art therefore worthy of the lesse punishemente for accordinge to the lawes of iustice he deserueth no lesse punishemente that killeth an innocente beinge accompanied with manie in committinge the facte than if he alone had killed him So that by this rule thou feest what great reason thou hast to moue thee to abhorre thy sinnes and to be earnestly sorie for them by callinge to minde that they were the tormentours which in verie deede crucified the sonne of almightie God and caused him to suffer so great paines and tormentes This is a greater cause to moue a man to abhorre sinne and to be sorie for the same than all other losses and miseries that ensewe of sinne yea althoughe we shoulde recken emonge our losses the depriuation of the euerlastinge glorie and felicitie which is lost by a deadlie sinne and the euerlastinge horrible paynes which be purchased by the same Now acordinge vnto this doctrine when thou shalt be occupied in meditatinge vpon the holie passion and shalt see how the enemies doe apprehende our Sauiour and how they accuse him and buffette him and how they spette vpon him and whippe him c. thinke for certaine that thou art in verie deede in companie with them and that thou hast ioyned with them in this conspiracie against our Sauiour So that thou mayst treulie saie that thy sinnes doe accuse him that thy dissolute behaueour bindeth him that thy anger and mallice whippeth him that thy presumption and rashenes buffeteth him that thy pride crowneth him with thornes that thy fonde braueries and vanities doe clothe him with purple that thy pleasures and delightes geue him to drincke galle and vineger and to be shorte that thy disobedience nayleth his handes and feete vpon the crosse Forsomuch as the paines which thou deseruest by these thy sinnes he vowchsaffed of his infinite charitie to suffer for thee For it is certaine that the tormentors shoulde neuer haue had power to tormente him as they did in case thy sinnes had not geuen them force and strengthe to doe the same This is one verie profitable waie of meditatinge vpon the holie passion for all kinde of persons but it is much more requisite for such as doe but newlie beginne to enter into the seruice of almightie God and doe endeuour to cleanse the sinnes of their former dissolute lyfe with the holic exercises of Penance Of the passing great benefite of our Redemption § III. THERDLY we ought to consider in the holie passion the greatnes of the benefite which our Sauiour hath done vnto vs in redeeminge vs by this meane And althoughe there be infinite thinges to be saide in this matter yet at this presente I will doe no more but onely note breifly three principall pointes which are to be considered in this most excellent benefite of our Redemption Firste what our Sauiour hath bestowed vpon vs by the same redemption Secondlie what meane he vsed in geuinge it vnto vs. And therdlie with what passinge great loue he gaue it vnto vs. How passinge great that is which our Sauiour hath bestowed vpon vs by this benefite of our redemption there is no tonge able to expresse Howbeit we maie conceiue somewhat thereof by two waies The first waye is by consideringe all the euills and miseries whereinto mankinde incurred throughe the sinne of the first man Adam for all these miseries were sufficientlie remedied by our Sauiour Iesus Christe who bestowed vpon vs all such benefites as were contrary vnto these miseries forsomuch as it is euident that he was geuen vnto vs to be a vniuersall reparer of all the euilles and miseries of the worlde Now he that were able to recken how manie the miseries are whereinto the worlde hath fallen by the sinne of the first man Adam might also vnderstande how many the benefites are that came vnto vs by the seconde Adam to witt by our Sauiour Christe which benefites be vndoutedlie innumerable The seconde waie is by consideringe not all the miseries which our first father Adam brought vnto vs but all the benefites which came vnto vs by our Sauiour Christe Forsomuch as we are made partakers of all those benefittes by meanes of communicatinge his spirite vnto vs For all such as are made partakers of the spirite of Christe are made partakers also of the vertues and merites of Christe Wherefore the Apostle saithe Galat. 3.27 that all such as haue receiued the Sacramente of Baptisme haue put on Christe Geuinge vs thereby to vnderstande that they all are made partakers of Christe and are adorned with his vertues and merites and that so beinge clothed with this liuerey they seeme in the sighte of the heauenly father to be such after a sorte in their degree as his owne verie sonne seemeth before him And therefore for good cause dothe Ecclesiasticus alledge this wonderfull title of the sonne of God in his praier Eccl. 36.14 sayeinge haue mercie ô Lorde vpō thy people Israell whom thou hast made equal and like to thy firste begotten sonne What dignitie what glorie can be greater than this Now accordinge hereunto he that coulde recken how many the vertues and merites of our Sauiour Christe haue bene might likewise vnderstande how manie the benefites haue bene that are come vnto vs by him Forsomuch as we are made partakers of them all by the meane of his passion To conclude by him is geuen vnto vs remission of our sinnes grace glorie libertie peace saluation redemption sanctification iustice satisfaction sacramentes merites doctrine and all other thinges which he had and were behouefull for our saluation And by reason of this his so bountiefull communicatinge he is called in the holie Scriptures the father the bridegroome and the vniuersall head of the Catholike Churche because whatsoeuer the father hath appertaineth to his children and whatsoeuer the bridegrome hath he imparteth to his spowse and whatsoeuer the head hath the members are made partakers of the same These are the benefites which our Sauiour Christe hath bestowed vpon vs. But by what meane hath he
to drinke that geueth vs the cuppe of saluation he that was so innocent he that was so iust or rather verie innocencie and iustice it selfe was accompted emonge theeues the euerlasting truth was accused with false witnes the iudge of the whole worlde was condemned bywicked men and the worde of god receaued the sentence of death with sylence Consider moreouer at what tyme the Sauiour of the worlde was nailed vpon the crosse and at the verie houre of his death when the sterres were obscured the elementes troubled when the earth quaked when the light was darkened when the sonne tourned awaie his eies and would not suffer his beames to shyne vpon the earth least happelie it might see such a great crueltie Consider I saie how euen at this time our Sauiour did not so much as once open his mouthe or moue him selfe how he would not at the verie last howre and point of death discouer the glorie of his maiestie but suffered continuallie that extreme and violent conflict euen vntill the ende intendinge thereby to leaue vnto vs an example of perfect pacience Yea moreouer and all this if those cruell blouddie ministers that crucified and tormented his most blessed bodie would haue conuerted and bene penitente he was readie to receaue them to his grace and fauour euen at the verie last instant neither would he haue shut vp the gates of his church from anie man Now therefore what thinge in the worlde can possiblie be of greater benignitie and patience then the bloude of Christ that giuethe life euen vnto them that shed the same bloude But such and so great is the patience of our sweete Sauiour Christ which if it had not bene such and of so great power the churche had not had Saint Pawle in it at this daie Hetherto be the wordes of Sainct Ciprian OF THE MOST BLESSED SACRAMENT OF THE AVLTAR and of the causes wherefore it was instituted Panis quem ego dabo caro mea est pro MUNDI vita Johan 6 5◠Accipite et comedite hoc est corpus meum Matth. 26.26 § II. ONE of the principall causes of the comminge of our sauiour into this worlde was to enkendle the hartes of men in the loue of almightie God For so said he by sainct Luke Luc. 12. I am come to put fier in the earth and what would I els but that it should burne This fier did our sauiour put in the earthe when he bestowed vpon men such and so manie wonderfull benefittes when he wrowght so great workes of loue emonge them whereby he might steyle awaie there hartes from them and whollie inflame them in this fier of loue Now albeit that all the worckes of his most holie life doe serue to this end Yet of al other those doe most effectually serue for this purpose which he did in the end of his life according as Sainct Iohn the Euangelist signefieth sainge His fryndes that he had in the world Ioan. 13. he loued them espetially in the end For at that time he bestowed greater benefittes vpon them and discouered vnto them greatest pledges and tokens of his loue Emonge which singular pledges one of the most principall was the institution of the most blessed Sacramēt of the Aultar the which thinge shall appeare verie plainlie vnto him that will consider with good attention the causes of the institution of the same But in this behalfe I beseach thee o most mercifull Lord that thou wilt vouchsafe to open our eies and graunt vs light that we maie see what causes they were that moued thy louinge hart to institute for vs this so wonderfull a Sacrament and to leaue it vnto vs. Now that we maye vnderstande some what of this diuine misterie it is to be presupposed good Christian reader that no tounge created is able to expresse the passinge great loue The passinge greate loue Christe bearethe towardes his Catholike Churche and to euerie soule that is in the state of grace Ephes 3. that our sauiour Christ beareth towardes the Catholike Church his spowse and consequentlie vnto euerie soule that is in the state of grace For so much as euerie such sowle is also his spouse For this cause one of the thinges that the Apostel Sainct Paule requested and desired was that almightie god would reueale vnto vs the greatnes of his loue which vndowtedlye is so great that it farre passeth all the wisedome and knowledge created yea thowgh it were euen that wonderfull knowledge of the angelles Wherefore this our most sweete Bridegrome The causes of the institution of this most holie Sacramente The first cause when he minded to depart out of this life and to absent him selfe from the Catholike Church his deere spouse to the intent that this his absence might not be anie occasion vnto her to forget him he left vnto her for a remembrāce this most blessed Sacramēt wherein he himselfe would remaine for he could not beare that betwene him and her there should be anie lesse pledge to prouoke her to be myndefull of him then euen himselfe And therefore he pronunced at that time those sweete wordes Luc. 22.1 Cor. 11. So often as ye shall doe this thinge doe it in the remembrance of me that is doe it that ye maie be alwaies mindfull how much I am willinge to doe for you and how much I goe now to doe and suffer for your saluation The seconde cause Moreouer this most sweete and louing bridegrome intended in this his longe absence to leaue some cōpanie to his spouse that she might not remayne solitarie and comfortles And therefore he left her the companie of this most holie Sacrement where euen the bridegrome himifelfe is reallie present which is in verie deede the best and most delitefull companie that he coulde possiblie leaue her At that time also our sauiour would goe to suffer death for his spowse The thirde cause and to redeeme and enriche her with the price of his owne most precious bloude and to the intent that she might whensoeuer she woulde enioye this most pretious and diuine treasure he left her the keis thereof in this most blessed sacrament For as S. Chrisostome saith S. chrisost So often as we come to receaue this most blessed Sacrament we must make accompt that we come to laie our mowthes to Christes verie side to drinke of his most pretious bloude and to be partakers of this soueraigne and diuine misterie Consider therefore in what a dangerous case those men are that for a litle slouthfulnes doe absteine to come vnto this royall banket and to enioye such a great and most inestimable diuine treasure These be those vnfortunate slouggardes of whom the wiseman speaketh Prouerb 19. sainge The slouggard hideth his hand in his bosome and suffereth him selfe rather to die for honger then he will lift it vp to his mouthe Now what greater slouthfulnes can there be imagined in a man than this is that because he will not
hande that shall betraie me And whiles he yet spake lo Iudas one of the twelue came and with him a great multitude with swordes and staues and torches and lanternes beinge sent from the highe preistes and elders of the people Now he that betraied him had geuen them a token sayinge whom so euer I shall kisse that is he laie handes on him And forthwith he came to Iesus and said hayle maister and kissed him Then Iesus said vnto him Freynd Ioan. 18. wherefore art thou come And Simon Peter drewe out his sworde and strooke a seruante of the high preiste and cut of his right eare This seruant was called Malcus Then Iesus said vnto Peter put vp thy swoord into the scabbord The cuppe that my Father hath geuen me wilt thou not that I drinke it And he towched the eare and forthewith made it whole At that time Iesus said to the high preistes Luc. 22. and to the officers of the temple and to the elders that came vnto him Ye be come out as it were Math. 26. against a theefe swoordes and staues I sat dailie emonge you teachinge in the temple and ye laid no handes on me But this is your howre and the power of darkenes Ioan. 18. Then the souldiers and the captaine and the officers of the Iewes tooke Iesus and boūd him and led him awaie to Annas first for he was father in lawe to Caiphas who was the high preist for that yeare Math. 26. Then all the disciples forsooke him and fled MEDITATIONS VPON THESE POYNTES OF THE TEXT VHAT doest thou o my soule what thinkest thou It is no time now to sleepe Come with me I praye thee into the garden of Gethsemanie ād there shalt thou heare and see great misteries There shalt thou see ioye stroken with sadnes fortitude waxen afraide strengthe discomfited maiestie and omnipotencie confounded greatenes and mightines verie narrowlie streytened and glorie it self obscured and darkened Of Christes prayinge in the Garden Consider now first how after that supper which was so full of misterie was ended our sauiour went with his disciples vnto the mownte Oliuet to make his praier before he would enter into the combat of his passion In all troubles and temptatiōs of this life we must haue recourse to praier as to a holie ancker and refuge to geue vs thereby to vnderstand that in all troubles and temptations of this life we must alwaies haue recourse vnto praier as it were to an holie ancker by vertu whereof the burden of tribulation shall eyther be taken quite awaie from vs or els we shall haue strength geuen vs to be able to beare it which is a farre greater grace For as S. Gregorie saith our Lord doth vs a greater benefit S. Gregorie when he geueth vs force and strength to be able to susteine troubles and temptations then when he taketh the same troubles and temptations awaie from vs. Our sauiour tooke with him to accompanie him in this waie three of his best beloued Disciples to witt S. Peter S. Iames and S. Iohn which three a little before had bene witnesses of his glorious transfiguration And this he did that the verie same persons might see what a farre different shape he tooke nowe vpon him for the loue of men from that glorious shape wherein he had shewed him selfe vnto them at his transfiguration And because they should vnderstand that the inward troubles and agonie of his soule were no lesse then those that begane to be discouered outwardly he spake vnto them those sorowfull wordes My soule is heauie euen vnto death tarrie me here and watche with me That verie God and trewe man that man that farre excellethe both our humane nature and all thinges created whose de alinge and conference was with the verie breste of the highe Deitie it selfe with whom onelie he communicated his secretes is now fallen into so great sorrowe and heauines that he is contented to geue part of his paines vnto his creatures and to require of thē theire companie saying tarrie me here and watch with me O treasure of heauen o perfet felicitie who hath browght thee o Lord vnto such a narrowe straight who hath driuen thee to seeke at other mens gates who hath caused thee to become a beggar euen of thine owne creatures who hath done all this but onely the verie greate loue thou hast to make them riche Tell me o most sweete and mercifull redeemer wherefore art thou now so much afraide of death which before thou diddest so much desire seinge the fulfilling of the desire is a cause rather of ioye then of feare Verelie the Martirs had neither the fortitude nor yet the grace that thou hast They had onelie a little portion which thou beinge the fountaine of grace diddest impart vnto them and yet they with that onelie smale quantitie of grace entred verie cheerfullie into the combat of there martirdomes and atcheiued the victorie And art thou o Lord beinge the geuer of strength and grace sad and fearfull now The verie cause both of Christes feare and of the fortitude of the Martyrs euen before the battell beginne Assuredlie o Lord this thy feare is not thyne but myne as likewise the strength and fortitude of thy Martirs was not theires but thyne The feare that thou hast commeth of that thou hast of vs and the strength and and fortitude that the martyrs had came of that they had receiued of thee The weakenes of my humane nature is discouered in that God was afraide and the strengthe of thy godhead is showed in the fortitude of man So that this feare is myne and that fortitude is thyne And therefore thy reproche is myne and my praise is thyne There was taken a ribbe bone out of the side of our forefather Adam Genesis 2. to forme a woman thereof and in steede of the bone that was taken awaie there was put weake and feeble fleshe Now what elles is signified hereby but that the euerlastinge father tooke from thee beinge our second Adam the force and strengthe of grace to place the same in thy spouse the Catholick Church and tooke from her the feeble fleshe and weakenes to place it in thee by meanes whereof thy spouse remayned stronge and thou weake she stronge by reason of thy strength and thou weake by reason of her weakenes Thou hast herein o heauenlie Lord bestowed a dowble benefit vpon vs in that thou hast vouchsaffed not onelie to clothe vs with thee but euen also to clothe thy selfe with vs. For these two so singuler benefittes the angelles praise thee for euermore for that thou hast bene no niggarde in communicatinge thy benefittes vnto vs nor yet disdayned to take vpon thee our miseries Now when I consider these thinges o Lord what ells should I do but seinge my selfe as it were loden with thy mercies glorie in thee and seinge thee to be likewise replenished with my miseries for my sake take compassion
breefelie the tenne commaundementes and the seuen deadlie synnes and thou shalt see that there is no one of them wherein peraduenture thou hast not offended more or lesse diuers and sundry times by thought worde or deede Our first father Adam did eate but of one onely tree forbidden him Genes 3. when he committed the greatest sinne of the worlde But thou hast set thy eies and handes infinite times vpon all sinnes How thou hast vsed the benefites of almightie God In like maner ronne ouer all the benefites of almightie God and all the times of thy life past and consider wherein thou hast emploied them forsomuche as thou must vndowtedlie geue an accompte at the verie hower of thy deathe of all these thinges And therefore it were well done that thou shouldest first take an accompte of thine owne doynges and enter into iudgement with thy selfe 1. Cor. 11. vers 31. that thou be not afterwardes iudged of almightie God Of mysspendinge thy tyme. Wherefore tell me now wherein hast thou spente thy childehoode Wherein thy infancie Wherein thy youth To be short wherein hast thou spente all the daies of thy lyfe past Wherein hast thou occupied thy bodely senses and the powers of thy soule which almightie God hath geuen thee to this ende Of the bodelie senses and powers of the soule that thou shouldest knowe him and serue him Wherein hast thou employed thine eies but in beholdinge of vanities Wherein thine eares but in harkeninge after lies Wherein thy tonge but peraduenture in all kinde of swearinge backbytinge and most vnhonest talke Wherein hast thou occupied thy rast thy smellinge and thy touchinge but onelie in pleasures and delites and in sensuall and fleashly allurementes What benefite hast thou taken by the Sacramentes which almightie God hath ordeyned for thy remedie and comforre How thankefull hast thou bene vnto him for his benefites How hast thou answered vnto his inspirations Wherein hast thou spente thy healthe thy naturall forces and habilites How hast thou employed the goodes which are tearmed the goodes of fortune How hast thou vsed the meanes and oportunities which almightie God hath geuen thee to leade a holie and vertuous lyfe What care hast thou had of thy neighbour whom almightie God hath commended vnto thee And of those workes of mercie which he hath appointed thee to vse towardes him Now what answere wilt thou make at that dreadfull daie of thyne accompte to wit at the hower of thy deathe when almightie God shall saie vnto thee Luc. 16. vers 2. Geue me an accompte of thy stewardshippe and of the landes and goodes that I haue committed to thy charge For now I will that thou shalt haue no more to doe therewith O drye and withered tree readie for the euerlastinge horrible tormentes in hell fier What answere wilt thou make at that terrible daie when an accompte shal be required of thee of all the time of thy life and of all the minutes and momentes of the same And assure thy selfe that it will so certainlie come to passe for euen our sauiour Christ himself who shal be our Iudge hath plainlie protested it and forwarned vs beforehand thereof Math. 12.36 sayenge Euerie idell worde that men haue spoken they shall render an accompte of the same at the daye of Iudgment Of the synnes that thou hast commytted synce the time thou hast had more knowledge of God Secondly call to minde what sinnes thou hast committed and doest commit euerie daie since the tyme thou art come to a further knowledge of almightie God And thou shalt finde that euen now presently all that knowledge notwithstandinge olde Adam liueth in thee with manie of thy lewde corrupt maners and auncient customes Wherevpon thou mayest take occasion to runne ouer the negligences and defectes wherein thou doest dailie offende against almightie God against thy neighbour and against thy selfe For in each of these pointes thou shalt fynde thy selfe to haue failed verie much in thy dutie Cōsider then how vnreuerent thou arte towardes almightie God how vnthankefull for his benefites how rebellious and stife necked to yeelde to his inspirations how slouthfull and negligent in matters apperteininge to his seruice which either thou had left vndone or els if thou hast done them it was not with suche a readines and diligence as the thinges required nor with such a pure intention as thou oughtest to haue had but the verie true cause why thou diddest them was for some other respecte of worldlie commoditie Consider likewise how harde and seuere thou art towardes thy neighbour and contrariewise how pittiefull and fauorable towardes thy selfe what a louer of thyne owne proper will of thy fleashe of thy estimation and of all thy worldly profites and commodities Consider moreouer that whereas thou sayest in wordes that thou arte now conuerted vnto almightie God thou art yet notwithstandinge in thy deedes very proude ambitious angrie rashe vaineglorious enuious malitious delicate inconstant light sensuall a great louer of thy pastymes of pleasante companie laughter iestynge idell talke and of vaine bablynge and pratlinge Consider also how vnconstant thou arte in thy good purposes how vnaduised in thy woordes how headlonge in thy deedes how cowardly and faynte harted to doe anie matter of weight and importance Thirdly Of the greeuousnes of synne when thou hast considered in this order the multitude of thy sinnes consider forthwith the greiuousnes of them that thou mayest perceaue how thy miseries be increased on euerie side The whiche thinge thou shalt the better see Thre circumstāces to be considered in sinne if thou consider these thre circumstances in all such sinnes as thou hast committed in thy former lyfe to witt Against whom thou hast sinned For what cause thou hast sinned And in what maner thou hast sinned If thou consider against whom thou hast sinned thou shalt finde that thou hast sinned against almightie God whose goodnes and maiestie is infinite whose benefittes and mercies towardes mankinde doe exceede the sandes of the Sea in whom alone are all excellencies and titles of honour to be fownde and to whom all dueties and homagies dewe to anie creature are due in the highest degree of bounden dewtie If thou consider the cause that moued thee to sinne it was for a poynte of estimation for a beastly delight for a trifelinge worldly commoditie and for other thinges of no weighte whereof almightie God him selfe most greuously complaineth by one of his Prophettes Ezech. 13. saienge They haue dishonored me in the presence of my people for a handfull of barlie and for a peece of breade But if thow cōsider after what maner thou hast sinned Suerlie it hath bene done with such facilitie with such boldnes so without all scruple so without all feare yea sometimes with such contentation and ioye as if thou haddest sinned against a God of strawe that neither knewe nor sawe what passeth in the worlde Now is this the honour that is due
deceites Hereof commeth our presumption our pride For wante of consideration of our death doe growe all our fonde errours and deceites our couetousnes our pleasures our nicenes and delicatenes and the vaine castelles and towres of winde which we builde vpon sande For if we woulde consider in what case we shal be after a fewe daies whan we are once lodged in that poore selie cottage of our graue we shoulde be more humble and more temperat in our lyfe How cowlde he possiblye haue anie sparcke of presumption that woulde consider that he shal be there dust and asshes How cowlde he finde in his harte to make a God of his belly that woulde consider that he shall become there wormes meate Who coulde euer be perswaded to occupie his brayne in such loftie and phantasticall thoughtes and deuices if he did but consider and wayghe how fraile and weake the foundation is wherevpon all his fonde designementes are grownded Who woulde endaunger the losse and destruction of himselfe in seekinge for riches both by lande and Sea if he considered that at his death he shoulde carie no more with him but a poore windinge sheete To conclude all the workes of our lyfe woulde be dewlie corrected and framed in good order if we woulde measure and square them out by this rule The lyfe of a wise mā is a contynuall thinkinge of deathe For this cause the Philosophers saied that the lyfe of a Wiseman was nothinge els but onely a continuall cogitation and thinkinge of death forsomuch as this consideration teacheth a mā what thinge is somewhat and what is nothinge what he ought to followe and what to eschewe according to the ende whereunto he must certaynelye arriue It is written of those Philosophers called Brackmanni that they were so much geuen to thinke vpon their ende that they had their graues alwaies open before the gates of their howses to the intent that both at their entrie and goinge forth by them they might alwaies be mindefull of this iourney and passage of death Almightie God saied vnto the Prophet Ieremie Ierem. 18. that he shoulde goe downe into a howse where earth was wroughte for that he woulde there speake with him Almightie God coulde haue spokē with his Prophet in anie other place but he chose to speake with him in that place to geue vs to vnderstande that the howse of earthe which is our graue is the schoole of true wisedome where almightie God is wonte to teach those that be his There he teacheth thē how great is the vanitie of this worlde There he sheweth vnto thē the miserie of our fleashe ād the shortnes of this life And aboue al there he teacheth them to knowe themselues which is one of the most highest pointes of Philosophie that maie be learned Wherefore ô thou man discend downe with thy spirite into this howse and there shalt thou see To knowe a mans selfe is one of the highest pointes of philosophie who thou art whereof thou art come where thou shalt rest and wherein the bewtie of thy fleashe and glorie of this worlde do ende so shalt thou learne to despise all those thinges that the worlde hath in reuerence for wante of dewe knowledge how to consider it Because the worlde considereth no more but onely the paynted face of Iezabel that shyned verie bewtifully and gaylie at the windowe 4. Reg. 9. 3. Reg. 21. It considereth not the miserable extreme partes of her which after that her bodie was deuoured with dogges almightie God woulde haue to remaine whole that thereby we might see that the worlde is an other maner of thinge in deede than it appeareth in outwarde shewe and that we shoulde in such wise consider the face of it as to be mindefull also of the extreme greifes and sorrowes wherein the glorie of it endeth Secondlye this consideration is a great helpe to cause vs to eschewe and forsake sinne accordinge as Ecclesiasticus witnesseth sayeinge Eccles 7. Remember the last ende and thou shalt neuer sinne It is a great matter not to sinne and a great remedie also for the same is for a man to remember that he must die S. Iohn Climacus S. Iohn Climacus writeth of a certaine monke that beinge sore tempted with the bewtie of a woman whom he had seene abroade in the worlde and vnderstandinge that she was deade went to the graue where she was buried and rubbed a napkin in the stinkinge bodie of the dead woman And he vsed alwaies afterwardes whensoeuer the deuill troubled him with anie euill thought of her to take the stinkinge napkin and to put it to his nose and saie to him selfe Beholde here thou miserable wretche the thinge thou louest and beholde here what ende the delightes and beawties of the worlde haue This was a great remedie to ouercome this synne And the deepe consideration of death is of no lesse importance than it S. Gregorie as S. Gregorie saieth There is nothinge that doth so mortifie the appetites of this our peruerse fleash as to consider in what plight the same shal be after it is deade The same holie father rehearseth a like storie of an other monke who hauinge his table readie prouided to goe to dinner to eate somewhat for the refresshinge of his weake and wearie bodie chaunced sodenly to haue a remembrance of death which cogitation euen as though it had bene a constable or other lyke officer there readie to attache him put him in such a terrour and feare that it caused him to refraine from his meate Consider therefore how much the remembrance of the dreadfull accōpte that we must make at the houre of our deathe is able to worke in the harte of a iust man seinge it caused this holie monke to abstaine from a thinge that is so lawfull and necessarie to be done Certainlie this is one of the most wonderfull thinges in all the worlde that men knowinge so assuredlie Math. 12.36 Hebr. 9.27 1. Pet. 4.18 Apoc. 14.7.13 that at the verie howre of their death a particular accompt shal be required of them of all their whole life yea and of euerie idell worde will notwithstandinge ronne headlonge with such facilitie into sinne If a waiefaringe man hauinge but one farthinge in his purse shoulde enter into an inne and placinge him selfe downe at the table shoulde require of the host to bringe in Partridges Capons Phesauntes and all other delicates that maie be founde in the howse and shoulde suppe with verie great pleasure and contentation neuer remembringe that at the last there must come a time of accompt who woulde not take this fellowe either for a iester or for a verie foole Now what greater folie or madnes can be deuised than for men to geue them selues so looselye to all kindes of vices and to sleepe so sowndlie in them without euer remembringe that shortly after at their departinge out of their Inne there shall be required of them a verie strayt and
suerlie not without good cause when he saide Iob. 14. The tree after it is cut hath hope to reuiue and springe againe and if the roote of it doe rott in the grownde and the stocke be dead in the earth yet with the freshenes of water it springeth againe and bringeth forth leaues as if it were newlie planted But man after he is once dead withered and consumed what is become of him Great vndowtedlie was the tribute that was laide vpon the children of Adam for sinne And the euerlastinge Iudge vnderstode verie well what penance he gaue vnto man when he saide Thou art dust Genes 4. and into dust thou shalt retourne againe Of the great feare and dowte the sowle hath at the hower of deathe what shall happen vnto it after it is departed out of the bodie § III. HOWBEIT this is not the greatest cause of feare that a man hath at the hower of his death but there is yet one farre greater and that is when the sowle casteth her eies further and beginneth to thinke vpon the daungers of the life to come and imagineth what shall become of her hereafter For this is now as it were to depart from the hauen mowth and to launche into the mayne Sea where none other thinge is to be seene on what side so euer ye looke but onely heauen and the water the which is woūte to be occasion of greater feare in such as are but newe Seamen For when a man considereth that eternitie of worldes which followeth after death and withall casteth his eie into that newe ād straunge region which was neuer knowen nor traueyled by anie man aliue where he must now beginne to take his iourney when he considereth also the euerlastinge glorie or paine which there must fall to his lotte and seeth that wheresoeuer the tree falleth Eccles 11. there it shall remaine for euermore and knoweth not on which of the two sides he shal falle whē he considereth I saie all these thinges he cannot but be in a verie great feare and trouble of minde We reade that when Benadad kinge of Siria was sicke 4 Reg. 8. he was in so great anguishe and greife of minde for that he knewe not whether he should die of that sicknes or not that he sent the generall of his armie with fowertie Camels loden with treasure vnto the Prophet Elizeus requestinge him with wordes of great humilitie to rid him out of that perplexitie he was in and to put him out of all dowt whether he shoulde recouer of that sicknes or not Now if the loue of so short a lyfe as this is be able to cause a man to be in such a greate care and pensiuenes how great care will a Wiseman take when he perceiueth him selfe to be in such a case as that he maie trulie saie that within two howres he shall haue one of these two lottes to witt either lyfe euerlastinge or death euerlastinge and that he knoweth not certainlie whether of theise two shall come vnto him What martirdome maie be compared to such a painfull angwishe and greife as this is Put the case now that a kinge were taken prisoner emonge the Turckes and when his Embassadours shoulde come to raunsome him the Turckes woulde propounde that the matter shoulde be determined by castinge of lottes and that if he happened to haue a good lotte he shoulde be raunsomed and goe home with his Embassadours to his kingdome but if contrariewise that thē immediatly he should be throwē into a great fyerie furnace which were there prepared burninge and flaminge before him Tell me I praie thee at the time when they shoulde be castinge the lottes and puttinge their hande into the vessell to take them out and all the worlde in great expectation waitinge what shoulde be the ende thereof and the kinge him selfe standinge there present beholdinge the doutfull happe that must be alotted vnto him in what a dolefull case thinkest thou woulde he then be How troubled How fearfull How quakinge and tremblinge And how readie to promise and vowe vnto almightie God all he cowlde possiblye doe to be quite ridde out of that terrible angwishe Now what is all this be it neuer so great but as it were a shadowe if it be compared with this daunger that we speake of How farre greater is the kingdome that we seike How farre greater is the fierye furnace that we doe feare How farre more greiuouse is the perplexitie ād doutefulnes of this matter thā of the other For on the one side the angels shal be there expectinge for vs to carrie vs to the kingedome of heauen and on th' other side the deuills to cast vs into the horrible furnace of hell fier and no man knoweth whether of these two lottes shall happen vnto him which shal be determined eyther the one waye or the other within the space of one houre after his death Consider therefore in what a heauie plight thy harte shal be at this last instant how fearfull how humble how abased before the face of him who onelie cā deliuer thee out of this daunger Suerlie I am of this opinion that there is no tonge in the worlde able to declare this matter as it is indeede How we come to vnderstande hereby the errours and blindnes of our lyfe past § IIII. AFTER this anguishe there followeth yet an other as great as it namelye in such persons as haue liued a wicked and dissolute lyfe which is to come so late to thinke vpō the accōpt they haue then forthwith to make of all the disorders and offences of their former lyfe At the houer of deythe it is a great greife to a sicke man if he haue liued licentiouslie that he thinketh so late vpō his accompte O how wōderfullie shall the wicked be confounded at that time when the griefe of their paine shall cause them to open their eies which heretofore the delight and pleasure of sinne had closed vp insomuch as they shall then clearlie perceiue what false goddes those were which they haue serued and how deceitfull those riches were which they haue so greidelie gaped after and how by followinge that waie whereby they thought to haue fownde rest they finde in conclusion their vtter ruin and destruction The seruantes of the kinge of Siria came to apprehende the Prophet Heliseus and when almightie God had stricken them all blinde by meanes of the praier of the Prophet the Prophet said vnto them Come goe with me and I will shewe you him whom you seeke 4. Reg. 6. And when he had thus said he caried them with him vnto Samaria and brought them into the market place of the cittie in the middes of al their enemies And then made his praier againe and saide O Lorde open the eies of these miserable men that they maie see where they are Now tell me I praie thee when those men opened their eies and sawe whither they were come beleuinge certainlie before that
farre the one exceedeth the other Now if a man to escape that tormente woulde not sticke to put him selfe to all daungers labours and paines be they neuer so great what then ought all we to doe to escape this most horrible extreme tormente of hell fyer Consider also what a terrible kinde of tormente that was which Phalaris that cruell Tyrante inuented of whom it is written that he vsed when he woulde put men to death to cause them to be inclosed within the bellie of a bull made of mettall and then caused a fier to be made vndernethe it and this cruell maner of punnishemente he deuised that the miserable man by the heate of the yron shoulde burne within the same by litle and litle and not be able to escape nor defende him selfe nor haue anie other remedie but onely to burne and rore and tumble and tosse him selfe within that strait place vntill he were dead What harte can heare of this crueltie but that his fleashe will tremble and quake onely in thinkinge of it Wherefore tell me now ô thou Christian what is all this in comparison of that most greiuous and horrible tormente which we here treate of but onely a meere dreame or shadowe Now if the verie imagination and thinkinge of these horrible paines of hell doe make vs afraide what shal it be not to thinke of them onelie but euen to suffer them in verie deede Certainlie it is so horrible a matter to suffer paines and tormentes euerlastinglye that althoughe there were but one alone emonge all the children of Adam that shoulde suffer in hell in this wise it were enoughe to make vs all to tremble and quake There was but one emonge Christes disciples that shoulde sell his master and yet when Christ saied One of yow shall betraie me Math. 26.21 all beganne to be afraide and waxe sad for that the matter was of so great importance Now then why doe not we much more tremble and quake knowinge certainlie Eccles 1.15 Math. 7.14 Esa 5.14 That the nomber of fooles is infinite and that the waie vnto life euerlastinge is verie narrowe ād strait ād that hel hath enlardged her mouthe without anie limitte to receiue the multitudes that goe into it If we beleeue not this If a Christian did cōsider the euerlastinge continuance of the horrible paynes of hell it woulde make him loke better to the dewe framinge of his lyfe where is our faith If we doe beleeue and confesse it where is our iudgemēmente and reason And if we haue both iudgement and reason why doe we not publishe and preache this matter in the open streates and market places Why goe we not into the desertes as manie of the Sainctes haue done there to doe penance for our synnes and to liue an austere lyfe emonge beastes that we maie escape these most horrible and euerlastinge tormentes How is it that we can sleepe in the night Yea how happeneth it that we be not quite out of our wittes when we doe thinke attentiuelie and consider of so straunge a perill as this is seinge lesse daungers than these haue bene able not onelie to frighte and bestraught men out of their wittes but also to bereue them of their liues This is the greatest payne that the miserable damned persons haue in hell to vnderstande that almightie God and their most greiuous tormentes shal be of one lyke continuance and therefore their miserie can haue no comfort because their paine hath no ende If the damned persons coulde be perswaded that after a hundered thowsande millions of yeares their paynes shoulde haue an ende euē that persuasion alone woulde be a great comfort vnto them For then all their tormētes albeit it were verie lōge woulde yet at the lengthe come to an ende S. Gregorie But assured they are that their paines shall haue no ende at all For as S. Gregorie saieth There the wicked haue death without anie death an ende without anie ende and a defecte without anie defecte For their death alwaies liueth their ende alwaies beginneth and their defecte neuer faileth And for this cause the Prophet saieth Psal 48.15 They are in hell as it were sheepe and death feideth vpon them The herbe that is there fed vpon is not wholie plucked vp because the roote is aliue which is the beginninge of lyfe and this causeth the herbe to springe againe that it maie still be fed vpon And therefore the pasture of those feildes is immortall forsomuch as it is alwaies eaten and alwaies reuyueth againe Now after this sorte shall death feede vpon the damned persons and as death cannot dye so shall it neuer be filled with this kinde of foode nor euer be wearie in doinge this office neither shall it euer make an ende of deuowringe this morsell For that death shall euermore haue somewhat in them to deuoure and they shall euermore minister somewhat vnto death to be deuoured so as the damned in hell shall suffer their most horrible paines and tormentes for euer and euer without anie ende SATTVRDAIE NIGHTE OF THE EVERLASTINGE GLORIE AND FELICITIE OF THE KINGDOME OF HEAVEN Corinth 2.9 THIS DAIE WHEN THOV HAST MADE THE SIGNE OF the Crosse and prepared thy selfe hereunto thou hast to meditate vpon the felicitie of eternall glorie in the kingedome of heauen THIS consideration is so profitable that if it were holpen with the lighte of a liuely faithe it were able to make all the bitter paines and labours which we shoulde take for the attaininge thereof to become sweite and pleasant For if the loue of landes and riches doe cause the paines and labours that be taken for them to seime sweite and pleasant If the loue of childrē also doe cause women to wishe for the paines of childebearinge what woulde the loue of this most excellent and passinge great felicitie doe in comparison whereof all other felicities are of non accompt If it be saied of the patriarke Iacob Genes 29.20 that his seuen years seruice feemed but shorte vnto him in respecte of the great loue he bare to Rachel what woulde the loue of that infinite bewtie worke in our hartes what woulde that euerlastinge mariage cause vs to doe if it were considered with the eies of a liuely faieth Fiue pointes to be considered in this meditation Wherefore that thou mayst vnderstande somewhat of this felicitie thou hast to consider emonge other thinges these fiue pointes that are in it to witt The excellencie and greatenes of the place The fruition of the companie of those blessed inhabitantes The vision of almightie God The glorie of the Sainctes bodies And finallie the perfect fruition of all good thinges that are there First of all therefore consider the excellencie of the place The excellencie and greatnes of the heauēs and especially the greatnes thereof which is surelye very wonderfull For when a man readeth in certaine graue awthors that euerie one of the starres of heauen is greater than all