whatsoeuer they be haue come doe come vnto him by the direction and disposing of God his most sweete will. The saying of Peter standeth certaine he careth for you What can we heare more sweete pleasant then this saying therefore sayth he cast all your care vpon him If we doe not this what doe we else but endeuour to let hinder the care of God also make our life vnto our selues troublesom painefull careful by many feares cares troubles and that in vaine for we doe not any thing hereby further our rest or quietnes but as the Preacher in his booke sayth This is a vanitie of vanities vexation of the spirit For in all the same booke he speaketh of experience hereof inasmuch as he had tried many things for him selfe and in all notwithstanding he founde nothing but labour vanitie vexation of the spirit so that he concludeth that it is the gift of God if a man eate drinke reioice with his wife that is liueth without care committing the care of him selfe vnto god Wherefore we ought to haue no other care of our selues thē that we may not be careful for our selues may commit the care of vs vnto god As for other things that might be spokē here euery one may as I haue sayd know them by the contrary consideration and by calling to mind his whole life past The fourth chapter of the fourth consideration which is of the good beneath vs. Hitherto we haue seene the good things which are our owne and in our selues we will nowe consider those that are in others and without vs the first whereof is in them which are beneath vs that is the dead and damned Howbeit it seemeth very straunge that any good can be found in the deade and damned But the power of the diuine goodnes is euery where so great that it maketh that we may se good things euen in the greatest euils Now let vs first compare them with our selues then shall we see our inestimable commodities as it may easily be vnderstoode by the contrary consideration of euills For as great euils of death and hel as we see in them so great without dout doe we see our commodities to be yea and so much greater as their euills are greater All which are not to be lightly passed ouer forasmuch as they doe greatly commende vnto vs the exceeding mercie of god And it is to be feared that if we make small account of these we shall be found vnthankefull and condemned togither with them or tormented worse for that the more we see them to be grieued sorrowfull so much more ought we to reioyce for Gods goodnes toward vs according to that saying in Esai chap. 65 Behold my seruaunts shall eate but ye shall haue hunger behold my seruaunts shall drinke but ye shall suffer thirst beholde my seruaunts shall be merie but ye shall be confounded behold my seruaunts shall reioyce for very quietnes of hart but ye shal crie for sorrowe of harte and complayne for vexation of minde your name shall ye leaue accursed amonge my chosen c. Finally as I haue said the examples of them that die ill and are condemned as B. Gregorie sayth in a certaine Dialogue ought to bringe this good vnto vs that they shoulde admonishe and teach vs that he is happye whome other mens harmes doe make to beware Howbeit this good forasmuch as it is commonly knowne doth litle moue vs when as notwithstanding it is to be counted amonge the chiefe and is not lightly esteemed of them that are wise forasmuch as a great part of the holy Scripture tendeth hereunto namely where it is taught of the wrath iudgements threatnings of god Which most wholsome doctrine the examples of the most miserable should make most wholsom vnto vs which then begin to be effectuall when we are so affected as they are which suffer them and as though we were in their place and person For then they wil moue and admonish vs to prayse his goodnes who hath preserued vs from those thinges These dead damned must be compared also with God him selfe whereby we may see the diuine iustice in them This albeit it be harde yet must we endeuour to doe it For seeing that God is a iust Iudge his iustice muste be loued and praysed and therfore must we reioice in God euen then when he destroyeth the euill both in body and soule because in all these his entire and vnspeakeable iustice shineth Wherefore hell also is full of God and the souereigne good as well as heauen For the iustice of God is God himselfe and God is the souereigne good As his mercie therefore so also his iustice or iudgemēt ought with most hartie affection to be loued and most highly to be extolled and praysed Whereupon Dauid sayeth The righteous shall reioyce when he seeth the vengeance he shall washe his handes in the blood of the wicked For this cause the Lorde forbad Samuell 1. Kinges 16 that he shoulde mourne no more for Saul sayinge Howe longe wilt thou mourne for Saul seeing I haue cast him awaye from reigning ouer Israell As if he sayde Doth my wil so displease thee that thou preferrest mans will before myne Finally hereupon come those sayinges of prayse and ioye through the whole Psalter that the Lorde is a Iudge of the widowes and a Father of the fatherlesse that he will auenge the afflicted and iudge the poore that his enemies shall be confounded the wicked shall be destroyed and many suche like If any will with foolishe pitie haue compassion on that bloody generation which slayeth the righteous yea euen the Sonne of God of that exceding great company of the wicked he shal be found to reioyce at their wickednes and to allow those things that they haue done being worthy to perish together with them whose sinnes he would not haue punished and he shal heare that saying which is in the second booke of Kinges chap. 19 Thou louest thine enemies and hatest thy frendes For so sayde Ioab to Dauid when he too much mourned for wicked Absolon his sonne Wherfore we ought here to reioyce at all the godlines of the Sainctes and the iustice of God who most iustly punisheth the persecutors of godlines that he may deliuer his elect from them And so thou seest that not small but exceeding good thinges doe manifestly appeare in the deade and damned namely that the iniurie of all the Sainctes is reuenged and punished and thine also if thou be righteous with them What maruell is it then if by thy present euill he punish thine enemie that is the sinne of thy body yea thou oughtest to reioyce because of this most excellent benefit of Gods iustice who thou not desiring it so slayeth and destroyeth in thy selfe thy worst enemie that is thy sinne Whereof if thou haue compassion thou shalt be foūd a frend of sinne and an enemie of iustice working in thee which thou
mercifully chastening vs openeth vnto vs and layeth vpon vs the smaller lighter euils knowing that if he should bring man to the knowledge of his euill he should forthwith perish in a moment howbeit he hath giuen it to some to haue a feeling and taste of it of whome it is sayd He bringeth downe to the graue and fetcheth vp againe Wherefore they say rightly who cal corporal sufferings certaine aduertizements of the inward euill And the Apostle Heb. 12 calleth them the fatherly chastenings of God saying He scourgeth euery sonne that he receiueth Which he therefore doth that by these scourges and small euills he may expell those great euills least we should at any time feele them as it is sayd Prouerb 22 Foolishnes is bound in the hart of the child and the rod of correction shall driue it away Are not godly parents also more grieued by their childrē if they be theeues or euill then if they be wounded yea they doe them selues beat and wound them that they may not be euill What therefore is the cause that this very euil is not felt truely as I haue said God disposing it it commeth so to passe that man may not be vtterly discouraged if he should see his most inward euils For God hideth them and will haue them seene by only faith while he sheweth them by the euill that is felt Therefore in the day of affliction or when thou sufferest euil thinges remember good thinges consider howe great a good thinge it is not to know all the euill be mindfull of this good thinge and the euil which thou feelest shal lesse disquiet or trouble thee So againe in the day when thou enioyest good thinges remember euill things that is while thou art not grieued with those that be very euills in deede in this want of griefe be thankefull and remember the very euills then will it come to passe that thou shalt lesse feele the euill that is felt It is manifest therefore that the want of griefe is alwayes greater in man in this life then griefe not for that the whole euill is not present but because there is no opinion or affection thereof by the goodnes of God who hideth it Hereupon we see them to whom it is giuen to behold their very euill howe rigorous and cruell they are against them selues howe they count it nothing whatsoeuer they can suffer in their whole life so as they feele not their hel So would euery one doe if he either felt or firmely beleeued his inward e-euill he would of his owne accord call for outward euills he would sport in them would neuer be more sad or sorrowfull thē when he had no euills as we know some of the Sainctes to haue done Wherefore in the first comfortable consideration a man may say to him self thou doost not yet O man feele thine euill reioyce and giue thankes that thou art not compeld to feele it and so a small euil being compared with one that is very great shall be made light and easie This is that which some saye I haue deserued farre worse things yea euen hel it selfe an easie thing surely to be spoken but intolerable to be felt And this euil albeit it be hid yet doth it shew forth his frutes sufficiēt grieuous these are feare and the vncertainty of a trembling conscience whereby faith is impugned whiles man knoweth not or douteth whether he hath God fauorable vnto him which frute is so much more bitter as faith is weaker And this only infirmitie being wel weyed forasmuch as it is spiritual is farre more grieuous then that of the body which it doth make euen most light being diligently compared vnto it Beside these to the inward euils pertaineth all that tragedy which the Preacher describeth whereas he so often maketh mention of vanitie and affliction of the spirit For how many counsels doe we take in vaine how many of our desires are frustrate how many thinges doe we see how many things do we heare which we would not Euen those thinges which tende to our desire fall out contrary to our desire so that there is nothing entire and perfect Moreouer all these thinges are so muche greater as one is placed in higher place or state who must needes be rost with farre more and greater sourges waues tempests then the rest that are troubled with the same thinge so that the 103. Psalme sayth well small and great beastes and thinges creeping innumerable are in the sea of this worlde that is infinite sortes of tentations wherefore Iob chap. 7. calleth the life of man a tentation Now these are not therefore no euils because they are litle felt but because through vse and daily custome they are nothing accounted of and affliction opinion in these is worne out by the worke of God wherefore those that be rare doe rather moue which as yet we haue by no vse learned to contemne So that it is true that we doe feele scarce the thousandth part of our euills it is also true that out euills are measured felt or not felt not by the veritie of the thinge but by our opinion and affection The second chapter of the second consideration which is of the euill to come or before a man. IT will not a litle lighten euery present euill if thou turne thy mind to them that are to come which are so many such so great that hereunto alone is referred that great and one of the principall affections which is called feare which some define to be an affection of the euill to come according as the Apostle saith Rom. 11 Be not hie minded but feare This euil is so much greater as it is more vncertaine of what sort and how great it wil be when it come so that it is a common saying There is no age to whom the scabb may not come which notwithstanding is an euill that is wont to happen to children and infants So that no man is free and exempt from any euills of any man but whatsoeuer one man suffereth the same also may an other suffer This is verified by the histories tragedies of all ages by all the complaints of the whole world by more then three hundred sorts of diseases whereby mans body may be troubled as some haue well noted If there be so many diseases how many other il chaunces thinkest thou wil there be of other thinges of frendes finally of the minde it selfe which is the principall subiect of all euills and the onely receptacle of sorrow and euills Moreouer the force feeling of euils is so much more increased by howe much the state is greater more worthy whē as pouertie ignominie all il chaunces seeing that they may euen sodenly come must needes forasmuch as all thinges hange as it were by a sclender thread be feared euery howre no otherwise then that sworde which Dionyse the tyran hoonge ouer the head of his guest Now
this day but I say vnto you that it shal be easier for them of the land of Sodom in the day of iudgement then for thee We see therefore what great praise loue we owe to our most gracious God in euery euill of this life for that we cast scarce of one drop of them which we haue deserued which Iob compareth to the sea and to the sande of the sea The fift chapter of the fift consideration which is of the euill on the left hand HEre we must set before our eyes that great companie of aduersaries and euill men in them we must first consider that they haue not done that euil to our body substaÌ„ce fame soules which they would haue done but that God did stay and let them and the higher calling and state that one is placed in to so many more deceits subtle deuises sclaunders and troubles of the aduersaries is he subiect in all which he may perceiue feele the present hande of god What maruell is it then if we be sometime touched with some one Secondly their owne euills are to be considered of vs also not that we should reioice at them but that we should haue compassion on them Nowe they also are subiect to all the same euils whereunto we are subiect as it may be easily perceiued by the former coÌ„siderations Howbeit herein they are more miserable then we that they are out of our societie as well corporall as spiritual For this euil which we suffer is nothing in comparison of that that they liue in sinnes in infidelitie vnder the wrath of God vnder the dominion of the deuil most miserable slaues of vngodlines and sinne so that if the whole worlde shoulde curse them it coulde wishe them no worse All which if we doe throughly perceiue we shall also perceiue with how great fauour and blessing of God we liuing in faith in the kingdome of Christ in the seruice of God do suffer some litle euill of the body which in so great plentie of most excellent thinges should not be so much as felt yea their miserie ought to be so grieuous to him that hath a Christian and godly hart that he should thinke his owne griefes delightes For so Paule willeth Philip. 2 Looke not euery man on his owne things but euery man on the things of other men Let the same minde be in you that was euen in Christ Iesus who being in the forme of God tooke on him the forme of a seruaunt c. That is with most louing affection he tooke on him our forme behauing him selfe no otherwise in our euills then if they had bene his owne so as it were forgetting his owne good thinges and making him selfe of no reputation that he might be found altogether made like vnto men refusing to be subiect to no humane thinge being occupied onely in our euills The Saincts being animated by this affection and by this example stirred vp are wont to pray euen for the euills of their enemies to do all things according to the example of Christ forgetting their owne iniuries or righteousnes to be careful how they may deliuer them from their euills wherwith they are without comparison more troubled then with their owne as Peter writeth of Lot 2. Pet. 2 who dwelled among them which vexed his righteous soule from day to day with their vnlawfull deedes Thou seest therefore how deepe a pit of euils here appeareth that we haue occasion to take pity and compassion to forget our owne small euil if the loue of God be in vs thou seest also how litle God permitteth vs to suffer in respect of those thinges which they suffer But whereas these things do litle moue vs the cause is for that the eye of the hart is not sufficient cleare whereby we should see how great the ignominie and miserie of man is lying vnder sinne that is being separate from God in subiection vnder the deuill For who is so harde harted which is not greatly moued with pitie and compassion at the miserable sight of them that lye in the porches of Churches in the streetes their faces being gnawne their noses and eyes eaten with corruption and their other members wasted with filth and rottennes so that the mind detesteth to thinke therof much lesse can the eie abide to behold it But what doth God intend and purpose by these miserable creatures who haue like flesh as we haue are our brethreÌ„ like vnto vs but that he may open the eies of our mind whereby we may see in how more oughly a sort the filth and corruption of the soule of a sinner appeareth albeit he weare purple and gold roses lillies as though he were a child of Paradise But how many sinners are there in the world to one of them whose bodies are full of sores Now these euills which are infinite as well in greatnes as in multitude being contemned or not regarded in our neighbours this contempt is the cause that our owne euill being euen one of the least sort seemeth vnto vs to be very great and that we thinke that no other are troubled with the like But it must needes be that euen in outwarde euills also they are in worse case then we What I pray you can be delightfull or throughly pleasant vnto them albeit they haue and enioy all thinges that they desire when as their conscience can not be quiet Is there a more grieuous euill then the trouble of a stinging conscience For Esai sayth chap. 57 The wicked are like the raginge sea that can not rest whose water someth with the myre and grauell euen so the wicked haue no peace sayth god Wherefore thou mayst see that verified in them which is written Deut. 28 The Lord shall giue thee an vnquiet hart and dasing eyes and sorrowe of mind and thy life shal hange in dout before thee thou shalt feare both day and night and shalt haue none assurance of thy life In the morning thou shalt say Would God it were night and at night thou shalt say Would God it were morning for feare of thine hart wherewith thou shalt be terrified and because of those things which thou shalt see with thine eyes Briefly if one did with due affection see and consider all the euills of euill men cither of enemies or frendes he woulde not onely forgette his owne euills and seeme vnto him selfe to suffer nothinge but also with Moses and the Apostle Paule earnestly wishe that he might dye for them and be rased out of the booke of life and separate from Christ as it is written Rom. 9 that they might be deliuered Christ burning with this zeale and inflamed affection died for vs and descended into hell leauing vs an example that we also should be so carefull for the euills of others forgetting quite our owne yea desirous of our owne â—â—terward it bringeth the quiet frute of righteousnes vnto them which are thereby exercised
forth these litle droppes in small measure although it sometime commeth to passe that it is more manifestly reuealed to mindes that are giuen to diuine contemplation so that being as it were in a traunce they can not tell where they are Such were Augustin and his mother as they confesse of them selues and many others The second chapter of the second consideration which is of the good to come or before a man. TO them that are not Christians litle comfort can be giuen in their euills by the good things to come for that al things be to them vncertaine Howbeit that notable affection which is called hope is here cause of great trouble By which affection men comfort them selues and bid one an other hope for better thinges whereby we vncertainely seeke after great thinges being for the most part deceiued as Christ teacheth of that man in the Gospell Luke 12 who sayd I wil pul downe my barnes and builde greater and therein will I gather all my frutes and my goods and I will say to my soule soule thou hast much goods layde vppe for many yeares liue at ease eate drinke and be merie But God said vnto him O foole this night will they fetch away thy soule from thee then whose shall those thinges be which thou hast prouided So is he that gathereth riches to him selfe and is not rich in God. Howbeit God leaueth not the children of men so but in this affection to put away euill and attayne that which is good he comforteth them albeit they be vncertaine of the thinges to come yet doe they hope well whereby in the meane while they are susteyned lest that falling into the euill of desperation they suffer not the present euill and so doe worse thinges Wherefore euen the affection of such hope is the gifte of God not that he will haue them trust vnto it but be moued to sounde and true hope which is in him alone For he is therefore slow to anger that he may bring them to repentance as it is sayde Rom. 2 neyther doth he suffer men to be deceyued by this deceitefull hope if so be that they beginne from the hart and truely to hope in him But to Christians beside these good things two sortes of especiall good things shal assuredly come howbeit by death and sufferinges Now they also reioyce in that common vncertain hope that the present euill shall ende the contrary good shall be encreased although they doe not so much regard that as they doe that their owne proper good is increased which is truth in Christ wherein they goe forwarde from day to day for which they both liue hope But beside these I haue sayd that two especiall good thinges shall come vnto them in deathe The first is that by deathe the whole tragedie of the euills of this life is ended as it is written Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saincts And againe I will lay me downe and also sleepe in peace Againe Though the righteous be preuēted with death yet shal he be in rest Whereas contrariwise to the wicked death is the beginning of euils as the Psalmist sayth The death of the wicked is very euill Againe Euils shal come vppon the wicked man in destruction so Lazarus shall be comforted who hath suffered his euills here whereas the riche glutton shall be tormented who hath here enioyed his pleasures So it commeth to passe that a Christian whether he dye or liue hath alwayes the better so blessed a thinge is it to be a Christian and to beleue in Christ whereupon Paule saith Christ is to me life death is to me aduauntage And Rom. 14. he sayth Whether we liue we liue vnto the Lord or whether we die we die vnto the Lord whether we liue therfore or die we are the Lordes This safety Christ hath obtained for vs inasmuch as he dyed and rose agayne that he might be Lord of the liuing and dead being able to make vs quiet and safe as well in life as in death as the 22. Psalme sayth Though I walke through the valley of the shadow of death I will feare no euill for thou art with me If this commoditie of death doe litle moue vs it is a signe that the faith of Christ is weake in vs which doth not sufficiently esteeme the treasure and commoditie of a good death or doth not yet beleue that death is good the olde man which as yet liueth too much the wisedome of the fleshe hindering vs We must endeuour therefore that we may know and loue this benefit of death It is a great matter that death which to others is exceeding euill shoulde be made to vs exceeding good and cōmodious And if Christ had not brought this to passe for vs what thinge should he haue done worthy of so great a price as he payed It is a very diuine worke which he did and therefore it should be no maruel to any that he made the euill of death exceeding good Wherefore death is nowe deade to the faithful and hath nothing terrible but onely a certaine semblance and appearance No otherwise then a serpent that is slaine in outwarde forme and appearance he is cerrible as before but in very deede it is onely a seeming or appearance of euil the euill it selfe is nowe dead and harmelesse Yea as in the 21. chapter of Numb God commaunded a brasen serpent to be set vp by the sight wherof the liuing serpents did perish so also our death by faithfull and stedfast beholding of the death of Christ doth perish and onely appeareth terrible but can not hurt vs in very deede So doth the mercye of God aforehande exercise vs that are weake with these goodly figures or semblances that forasmuch as death cānot be taken away he may at the least make the force thereof to be nothing but in outward shew and appearance only for which cause also death in the Scriptures is called sleepe rather then death The other good thing that commeth by death is that it doth not onely ende the troubles and afflictions of this life but which is more exccllent it maketh an end of vices and sinnes which maketh death farre more acceptable to the faithfull as we haue sayd before then the good which we haue nowe spoken of For the euills of the soule which are sinnes are without comparison worse then the euills of the bodye Which onely if we did knowe they would make death most amiable vnto vs Now if they do not so it is a signe that we doe not sufficiently feele nor hate the euils of our soule Whereas therfore this life is most perilous daungerous sinne seeking to deceiue vs on euery side and we can not liue without sinne moste commodious death setteth vs free from these perills and cutteth of sinne quite from vs whereupon in the booke of wisedom it is sayd in praise of the righteous He pleased God and was