that deare brother take it for vnfeigned veritie that the quiet and contentment which thou expectest cannot bee had in this world but to bee rich in the fauour of God but in contemning thereof and in estéeming lesse of earthly things then they be indeede Go rounde about the sea and land wander whither thou wilt as saith S. Augustine thou shalt finde wretchednesse euery where if thou walk not in the way of the Lord in whom consisteth all felicitie and contentment The Argument The way of God is now nothing difficult nor austere at all but is become very plain and easie by the instruction and ensample of Christ but especially by his passion his resurrection and assention and after by his sending downe of the holy Ghost CHAP. XII OTher there be which excuse themselues saying The way of God is very hard and this is onely because his precepts are repugnant to the inclinatiō of mans appetites This is one of the principall causes that maketh men to loath this labour but the authors of such allegations though they bee Christians and liue vnder the lawe of grace they knowe not yet the first letter that standeth in the Alphabet of this lawe nor haue any smacke of this misterie O thou vnhappie wretche which makest profession to bee a Christian tell mee I beséech thée wherefore came Christ into the world wherefore did he shead his blood why did he institute so many sacramentes why sent hee the holy Ghost what is ment by the Gospell by grace by this word Iesu what doth this renowmed name of Lorde and Sauiour signifie which thou woorshippest If thou knowest not aske of the Euangelist who sayth His name shall be Iesu for it shall be hée that shall saue his people from their sinne But what is it to be a sauiour and deliuerer from sinne if by him wee doo not meritte pardon for our offences passed and grace to excuse those that are to come For what cause came Christ into the world if not to helpe vs to saluation Wherefore dyed he vppon the Crosse if not to slay sinne why did he rise againe after his death if not to reuiue vs Likewise wherefore spent hee his blood if not for a medicine able to heale thy festered woundes wherefore ordained hee so many Sacraments if not for a speciall remedie against sinne what is she chéefest fruite of his comming and possion if not to shewe vs thereby the way to Heauen which before was austere and difficult Esai 40. As appeareth by Esaias where hée saith At the comming of Mossias the crooked wayes shall become straight and the bitter passages pleasaunt large and wide Besides all this why did he send his holy Ghost if not of flesh to make thée spirituall and wherefore did hee sende it in the forme of fire if not to the ende thou shouldest bee inflamed as fire illuminated fortified and transformed into himselfe and should drawe thée to heauen whence he descended that he might powre vppon thée the grace and vertue that floweth from him abundantly thereby to lighten the heauie yoake of sinne to mittigate the exercise of vertue by reioysing in aduersity by hope in perils and by ouercomming in temptations This is the beginning the middle and ende of the Gospell that as one carnall man and a sinner which was Adam made vs all earthly and sinners so an other man béeing celestiall and iust descending from Heauen made vs all celestiall and iust What other thing did the Euangelistes write of What other promises did the Prophet forespeake of what else did the Apostles preache of There is no other diuinitie but this this is the woorde abreuiated this God wrote vppon the earth this is the consummation and abridgement heard by the Prophet Esay which was verified by the sequell of the great abundance of vertue and iustice which came into the world immediately after Then deare brother behaue thy selfe as though thou wert newly conuerted to christianitie and aske of some skilfull Diuine what thou art charged to doo by this thy Religion of whome thou shalt receiue no other aunswere then that it behooueth thée to bee a good man which to accomplish this profession giueth thée comfort and courage and causeth the carnall man to become spirituall giuing vnto him the holy Ghost the better thereby to procéede in the promises Surely it is a great ouersight that thou bearing the name of a Christian so many yeares knowest not yet what difference is betwéene the written lawe and the lawe of grace In this then consisteth the difference sith thou knowest it not that lawe enioyned a man to bee iust not furnishing him with forces necessarie for that exployt but this also chargeth vs to bee iust and good giuing grace and abilitie to accomplish this commaundement therefore for this cause and no other it is tearmed the law of grace That pressed vs to battaile without weapons to fight willed vs to ascend to Heauen but gaue vs no ladders to climbe prescribed to men that they should bee spirituall yet did it not inspire them with the holy Ghost that they might be spirituall But now it is otherwise for this lawe ceasing the other succéeded which farre excéeded it by his merites and by the sacred blood of Christ And yet as though the olde lawe were not extinguished nor Christ come into the world thou standest Iewishly coniecturing that of thy selfe thou art sufficient to fulfill and execute this lawe and so to be iustified Wherefore euery one that vnderstandeth this shall perceiue apparantly that many Authors agrée that this way of the Lord is both swéete and sowre Psal 18. For loue of the wordes issuing out of thy mouth saith the Prophet I trudge a iourney harde and vnsauery I am delighted with thy Commaundements as with the greatest treasures For this way conteineth in it selfe both partes that is it is difficult and easie difficult in respect of nature easie in respect of vertue and grace in suche sort that which was harde by one reason is light by another As our Sauiour sheweth when hée said That his yoke was easie and his burthen pleasaunt for a yoke and burthen is all ene in signification But to say it was swéete declareth the facilitie hée had in bearing it here through the grace which was giuen vnto him So that if thou demaundest howe it is possible that béeing a yoke it should be easie séeing it is the propertie of a yoke to bee heauie and hatefull Wherevnto it may be answered that God doth quallifie the gréefe of those that willingly submitte themselues to the saide yoke as he hath promised by the Prophet Esay saying I will bee as hée whiche looseth the yoke and as he that vnloadeth a mans necke from the weight thereof What thing is more woorthie of admiration then this that a yoke is easie and that by God it is made portable for that himselfe supporteth the burthen Wherefore then dooth it séeme a thing incredible vnto
thou shalt die after which death because thou art a Christiā be sure thou shalt giue vp a reckoning of thy life forepassed Of this the faith which we professe wil not permit vs to doubt that other dayly experience doth confirme assuredly so that none can shunne or escape the one nor the other Be he Pope Prince or Emperour there shall come a time wherein eyther hee shall sée bright day continually or vgly night incessantly That time shall come without al doubt yet thou knowest not when whether it will be to day or to morrow In what time thou now readest this writing whole and sounde in all thy sences and members measuring the vayes of thy life according to thy businesse and delights shalt sée thy selfe in a bedde with a candle in thy hand attending the dint of death and sentence pronounced against humaine kinde which by no manner suite may bee released There shall be presented vnto thée the depriuation of all earthly delights the insupportable payne and passion of death the ende and last Pageant of thy life the horrour of thy graue the cursed condition of thy body allotted to be deuoured of woormes But the wretched estate of the soule will bee much more gréeuous vnto thée which béeing yet in the body knoweth not after an houre or two where his habitation shall be assigned Then in a moment thou shalt sée thy selfe sette before the tribunall seate of God almightie blaming and accusing vnto him thine owne naughtie life There thou shalt clearely discerne she foule enormious crimes whereof thou art guiltie and shall curse ten thousand times the day in which thou diddest transgresse the commaundements of God and the delight which stirred thée thereunto Then shalt thou meruaile at thy selfe how for so brickle pleasures as are those which thou imbrasedst diddest hazard thy selfe to endure perpetuall torments whereof thou now beginnest to haue a taste and smack for that the ioyes béeing now quite vanished away and the doome due vnto thée approaching neare that slender substance which was in them loosing his essence and beeing seemeth that it was nothing at all But the remorse and sting wherwith they presently prick and presse thy conscience appeareth to bée of inestimable force and efficacie Perceiuing therefore how for such transitorie trifles thou art at poynt to be bereaued of so incomparable felicitie béeing abashed thereat considerest thine owne distresse for that thou hauing runne out thy race there resteth no longer continuance of life nor leysure of repentance neither thy worldly fréendes neither the Idols to whom thou hast auowed the whole trauaile and terme of thy life can assist or succour thée at all yea those things which earst thou louedst most tenderly will be héere vnto thee the cause of grétest gréefe Tell me I pray thée when thou shalt sée thy selfe plunged in this perplexitie whither wilt thou turne what wilt thou doo to whom wilt thou crye To go backe it is impossible so goe forwarde intollerable to remaine as thou art thou mayest not what then wilt thou doo Then sayth God by the mouth of the Prophet the Sun shall not bee séene of the vngodly in the midday and I will bring darknesse vppon them in the bright day and I will conuert their pleasaunt sports to bitter plaints their dauncing and dallying to dolour and deadly dread Oh what wordes bee these Ezech. 32 The Sunne shall go downe in the midday because she huge heape of sinne then ouerwhelming the wicked which séeing by the iust iudgement of God the course of their life and time of repentance to b◠abridged many of them are so appalled with feare that they fall to flat dispayre of the mildenesse and mercy of GOD. And abyding yet in the middest of the day for so much as is remaynent of their mortall life which is the very time to merit or not to merit it séemeth vnto them that they haue no longer respect to doo good or euill but are vtterly excluded of both verily the passion of feare is of great force and vehemencie which maketh things that bee farre from vs séeme to bee present and of a trifle rayseth a tragedie If the consideration of this causeth them sometime to quake a little what then shall the feare of their vndoubted and iust ieopardie cause them to doo They béeing yet in this life beginne to suffer sensibly the gréefe and reproach of the Reprobate and in one very moment are both quick and dead For bewayling the present pleasures which they must forsake beginne to séele the future miserie which so much they feare They holde them most happie which tarry here behinde whereby they are prouoked to enuie which greatly augmenteth their griese To those the Sunne goeth downe at noone dayes for so much as which way soeuer they caste theyr eyes they sée themselues debarred on euery side from accesse to Heauen and that no beame or sparke of comfort appeareth vnto them for if they regarde the bountie of God they sée how sore they haue offended him if they behold his iustice they see him in a manner rigorously to rush vppon them for that hitherto the time and tide hath béene at their becke but now Gods turne is at hande If they looke backe to their life forepassed they sée what accusations groweth therof If to the time present they sée themselues to pecke ouer the pearch by péecemeale If they looke forwarde a little further they beholde the Iudge attending for their accounts Alasse what shall the séely wretches doo béeing atteinted with so many trespasses and affrighted with such furious feares at once For this cause the Prophet said that the bright day shall be turned into darkenesse thereby to giue vs notice that those things whereof the wicked are wont to take their greatest consolation should then be vnto them the cheefest cause of their discomfort It is a good thing I graunt for a man to sée his sonnes his friendes his house his worldly workes and all that he loueth besides but then this chearefull light shall bee altogither conuerted to profound darknesse for that all these things shall heape more heauinesse and shall become most bitter persecuters of their affectioned louers For as by nature and common custome we take no small delight in the present possession of those thinges which we loue and like well So likewise the losse thereof bringeth excessiue gréefe Therefore let the swéete children depart out of their fathers sight when hée lyeth at poynt of death and lette the mother also absent her selfe that shee may not giue and receiue by her presence so many sharpe assaults of sorrowe And his departure béeing into so far countries his iourney through so straunge and vnknowne waies the pinching smart which hee abideth will not permit him to haue confidence in any thing neyther will graunt him to take his leaue of his fréends If thou standest now vppon the same termes I spake of thou shalt well perceiue I haue not swarued from the truth
downe prostrate before the feete of thy sauionr and with a pēsiue hart say as followeth My sinnes O Lorde are in number about the sands of the Sea I haue spotted my selfe with the filth of euery vice and my offences are so multiplied that I deserue not nor dare not to beholde the Heauens because I haue prouoked thy wrath and haue done euill in thy sight The Argument In the second consideration he should consider that by sinne is lost the grace comfort of the holy Ghost the mutuall amitie the fauour fatherly protection of God the participation of all the good things don in the vniuersall Church and the benefit◠of Christes passion CHAP. IIII. VVEigh farther of howe great treasures vice doth robbe and spoyle thée which is one of the considerations that shoulde most affright a Christian whatsoeuer hee bee examining throughly on the one side what is lost by sinne and on the other side with what facility carelesse men offend daylie For by sinne is lost the grace of the holy Ghost which is the most precious gift that God can bestowe vppon his best beloued in this life It robbeth vs also of the fauour of God which alwayes accompanieth his grace And if it be a great griefe to léese the fauour of an earthly Prince howe muche greater should the griefe be to incurre the displeasure of him that is king of heauen and earth It bereaueth vs of the vertuous flowing from aboue of the giftes of the holy Ghost wherewith the soule is made bright and pure in the sight of God and is armed and animated against the force and violence of the enemie It robbeth the soule of his interest in heauen which procéedeth from the same grace sith that by grace glory is giuen as the Apostle saith Also of the spirit of adoption which maketh vs the sonnes of God and instéed thereof insecteth vs with the furie of rebellion which causeth vs to impugne his holy pleasure whereby wée léese the entertainment due vnto sonnes and the fatherly prouidence which God taketh of those whome hée receiueth for his children which is one of the greatest treasures that in this life may bee enioyed Wherein the Prophet reioyced not without good cause when hée saide I am right glad O Lorde because I sée my selfe shrowded vnder the shadowe of thy winges which is vnder the protection and fatherly prouidence that he hath of his chosen people By sinne is lost the peace the quiet and comfort of a guiltlesse conscience the swéetenesse and solace of the holie Ghost the fruite and merite of the vertuous actions that thou haste wrought all thy life before euen vntill that houre the participation of all those treasures which the Church holdeth in her custodie Finally by sinne is lost the participation and fruition of the merites which flowe from Christes passion who is our head because a sinner is not incorporated in his bodie as a liuely member through grace and charitie All this is lost by one mortall offence and that which is gained thereby is to be adiudged to eternall tormentes and for that time to be cancelled out of the booke of life and in steade of the sonne of God to bee made the vassall and bondslaue of Sathan and in steade of the temple and seate of the moste blessed Trinitie to become the denne of théeues the neast of Serpents the receipt and harbour of venemous Bafiliskes This is the guerdon conuenient for sinne whereby thou maiest learne whether it bee not good reason to tremble and quake beholding with howe little scruple of conscience with what facilitie and confidence so many carelesse men offende without measure And farther what reason it were that thou bedeawest thy chéekes with bloudie teares if not for the loue of God yet at least for thine owne distresse which hast loste suche inestimable riches for so small a myte as is the delight and taste of one trespasse If Esau wayled and wept so bitterly because he had lost his inheritance in lewe of the like taste with what cryes and complaintes shouldest thou fill heauen and earth for the losse of so woorthie of patrimonie that with gréefe and sorrowes sharpe thou maiest recouer the thing thou hast lost by dalliance and delights The Argument In the third consideration hee should thinke vpon Gods benefites bestowed vpon man that he might be abashed therat and be ashamed of himselfe And therefore enioyne himselfe to some sharpe affliction for that hee hath bene a creature so vngratefull and vnkinde CHAP. V. FOr the better replication of this ponder in thy minde the infinit number of Gods benefites For how much the more a man wayeth how bountifull God hath bene towardes him so much the more he shall be confounded in himselfe séeing how wicked he hath shewed himselfe to God In this sort the Prophets did often perswade the people of God to repentance And in this manner Nathan the Prophet beganne with Dauid when ere he reprooued him of adultery laide before him the fauoure and regall dignitie wherevnto God had promoted him and what else he had reserued for him In like sort a man should chiefly regard these ten kindes of benefites that ensue that is the benefite of creation of conseruation of redemption of baptisme of calling of diuine inspiration of preseruation from euill of the Sarraments of peculiar grace and priuate prerogatiues which hée hath receiued of his Sauiour and lastly of the glorie which hée expecteth héereafter to haue And particularly let him fixe himselfe vppon the benefite of vocation whiche is this that God hath looked so long for his conuersion and hath suffered and supported his sundrie sortes of sinne with such excéeding patience breathing vpon him eftsoones godly motions and diuine inspirations in the very midst of his naughtie life thereby to withdrawe him from his iniquities and to stirre him to repentance Weighing then with equall balance this wonderfull liberalitie and benignitie of our Sauiour on the one side and on the other our stubbornnesse ingratitude rebellion and abhominations committed against so mercifull bounteous a benefactor who will not be abashed and appalled thereat who will not rent his cloathes whose eyes will not yéelde streames of teares whose heart and intrailes will not bee consumed in sighes who wil not call all creatures to reuenge and to wrecke their wrath vpon a caitiffe so ingratefull and rebellious The Argument In the fourth consideration a Christian should consider the contempt and iniury he hath done to God by his offences esteeming more and preferring earthly drosse before his diuine Maiestie CHAP. VI. COnsider farther the despight and great wrong that is done vnto God through sinne for that so oft as we offend the iudgement and practise thereof doth still passe into our hearts weakeneth the vnderstanding whereby we banish all feare of transgression nor we féele not the weight of sinne whiche if it were set diametrically in the one part before the interest of sin which is some