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
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
swearing forswearing which ringeth rounde about wherein they â—â—céede all Infidels Then how can theâ— bee vnited to the number of those 〈◊〉 whom Esay speaketh in this wise All they that behold this people shall quickly knowe them to bee the plantes to whom God gaue his benedictioÌ„ Wherfore if suche ought to bee the life of a Christian that all they whiche beholde him may soone iudge him so be the sonne of God in what sort shall we déeme of those which séeme rather scoffers and contemners of Christ then Christians indéed If this then be the life of these what hope can we haue of their saluation according to the generall rule we haue set downe before All this is spoken that thou maiest perceiue if God notwithstanding his so great mercie that thou alledgest suffereth so many Infidels in the world and so many euill Christians in the church and if all these Infidels doo perish and so many Christians too he will also be contented that thou shalt perish with them if thy life be conformable to theirs But peraduenture the heauens were fauourable to thy birth and therewith all the commaundementes of God were altered and the lawe of his Gospell and of his iustice that for thy sake should me made an innouation of all things With this pittie he suffered the fall of Angels and the transgression of our first Parentes and with them the blot of humaine generation and destruction of the whole worlde with the great floud and the dreadfull desolation of Hierusalem of Babylon of Niniuie and of many other noble Cities and Prouinces And with this he suffred also that hell should bee enlarged and that daily so many millions of soules should tumble thither And will he not suffer likewise that thine shall passe the same way liuing as disorderly as they did before thée But thou maiest obiect that then God was rigorous and is become now more milde and curteous and yet with this pitie clemensie he hath suffered all that thou hast heard to the end that thou shouldest likewise feare thy fall although thou be a Christian whilest thou art wicked Sith it is certaine that fruitlesse faith is not the instrument of saluation but the chéefest matter of aggrauate damnation Perchaunce Gods glorie shall be lessened if thou enter not therein Or art thou of such power that God standeth in néede of thée and must heare with thée perforce Or hast thou any bill of his hande whereby hée is hound to bestow vpon thée such passing priuiledges If the children of Dauid which were priuiledged by the merite of their parents God did not spare to punish them according to their deserts for that they offended gréeuously in his sight so that many of them died miserably in his disgrace whence hast thou this confidence so to assure thy selfe of thy safetie Thou doest ere deare brother yea thou offendest if thou take this to be trust hope in God this is not hope but plaine presumption for that which we call hope is to beleeue that a man repenting forsaking sin God will forgiue him all his gréeuous crimes but thine is presumption if thou beléeuest that persisting still in wickednesse shalt not faile of thy saluation The Argument To say that the loue of the world is the cause of sinne is a vaine excuse proceeding from a corrupt and carnall Christian who hath no taste nor sent of supernall blisse Wherefore hee abiecteth those which are true and sincere and searcheth busily after false fraile momentall pleasures which presently he perceiueth not Then should he knowe the deceit and daunger of them and how perfect good are the spirituall delights CHAP. XI BUt perhaps thou wilt say that the loue of the world hath thy heart and hands fast hardle with the fetters of her slourishing vanities and that she it is that maketh thée to decline from thy well attempted voyage This is the excuse of one that hath not tasted of the spirituall delights and therefore desireth corporall comfort The countrey clowne déemeth that there is no brauer Palace any where then his rude Cottage at home for that he neuer sawe the loâ—â—e furress and curious workemanshippe of Castles and Cities The litle babe wofully wéepeth being descended from his mothers womb because he is ignoraunt yet howe much this worlde is better whither he commeth to dwell then the prison where he was pent before Our first parentes made great reckonings of their villages and houses made with strawe before they espied the braue buildings framed with timber stone To whome wee may well resemble all sensuall men who hauing yet no taste of spirituall spices nor prooued their sap their swéetnesse their beautie dignitie and nobilitie couet more gréedily the shadowes and shewes of happinesse because they knowe not any part of perfelt selicitie indéede For if they had any true knowledge hereof it were impossible but that they should vtterly despise all sensuall solace According to this saying of the Prophet Esay In that day thou shalt detest all siluer and golde and the idols which earst thou diddest adore euen as durtie ragges of no reputation and shalt say vnto them when thou art clensed Depart from me get you out of my house in such sort as men contemne their false gods after they know the omnipotent God So will they reiect the vanities of the worlde so soone as they haue a smacke of the true celestiall blisse For as Saint Bernard saith at the first taste of spirituall comfort all flesh from whence issueth each earthly delight léeseth his sent For this is that Syren song that dreame of Sirces which hath bewitched so many foretches But in opening this deceit mother fraude that lurked earst appeareth in sight which is that they are not onely ignoraunt of the spirituall blisse but also of the temporall ioyes themselues for if they knew them throughly it is not possible that they shoulde like them so well as they doo For tell me what is the world and all the iolitie thereof if with in corrupt eyes ye rightly regarde it his guise his begining and progresse what is this world I say other then a heape of wo a schoole of vanitie a market of deceit a bottomlesse pit of errours a prison of darknesse alwaies infested with théeues a durtie dunghill a sea of stormy troubles This world as the Philosopher said is a barren lande a stormie field a wood of thornes a gréene medowe full of serpents a gallant garden but fruitlesse vtterly a fountaine of vaine thoughts a pleasaunt poyson a fable finely framed a delighting frenzie what good things are therein which bee not altogither false and frayle and what euill things are incident to it which bee not tryed to be true his purpose is restlesse his securitie without safetie his paines to no purpose his teares auaileth not his intent without euent his hope frustrate his mirth fatned and forced his dolours to bee true is order full of disorder and confusion So
which yéeldeth his fruite in due and conuenient time whiche neuer léeseth his verdure and all that hée doeth shall succéed prosperously My brother these are the voyces the drums and trumpets wherewith Gods eternall wisedome calleth sinners vnto him if thou wilt harken to this harmenie and not lysten to the Syren songes of the subtil Serpent turne thy selfe vnto to God and amende thy life spéedily to the which ende this Treatise is addressed But how this is to be performed shal be shewed in the next volume The ende of the Conuersion of a Sinner Sundrie profitable Contemplations gathered by the saide Author The Argument A Christian man which couetteth to come vnto God must make his enterance through the gate of compunction generally confessing all his offences Wherevnto it shall auaile him much to exercise himselfe euery day in certaine Prayers and godlie Meditations and in the considerations of death and of Gods seuere iudgement CHAP. I. HE therefore that is departed out of Egypt and beginneth to march towards the land of promise hee that like vnto the loste sonne reremembreth himselfe and openeth his eyes to behold the beames of glittering vertue and knoweth the perplexitie wherein hée is plunged and the fraude of this fraile life and desireth to returne to the plenteous repastes of his fathers house his first passage must be through the straights of penance where it behoueth him ruthfully to record in his minde the former ryots and excesses and firmely to purpose the amendment of them And for that this discussion and examination ought to bee as the Prophet sayth with affliction and remorce of conscience it is the part of the penitent at that time to vse al such praiers ronsiderations as by any meanes may stir him to teares and dolour To the which auaileth much the consideration of death of Gods finall iudgement of the paines of hell and of the passion of Christ suffered for the satisfaction of our sinnes Sith it is apparant that if there had bin no defects on our side there had héene no cause of his gréeuous annoy These and such like considerations may mooue vs to sorrow and to the detestation of sin which is the chéefest part of repentance In the which we should exercise our selues not onely the space of fiue or sixe dayes but the greatest part of our life Wherein many penitents are deceiued who béeing most diligent in scouring their conscience and scanning their faultes are quite carelesse in bewayling of them whereas both the one and the other are most necessarie but chéefly the last And I thinke verily that the cause why so many faynte in the following of vertue and in long time cannot attaine to perfection and sometime to surcease their iourney begunne is because they haue not layde a sure foundation nor haue not planted the rootes déepe inough in this exercise For this béeing the piller of all the building when the foundation it selfe is féeble the worke cannot bee firme which is erected vppon it To the which ende it is very necessarie to assigne certaine dayes many or sewe as the holy ghost shall direct vs wherein as I haue sayde before we may exercise our selues in all such prayers and meditations as maye induce vs to this sorrowe For the plainer declaration of this doctrine I minde to impart vnto you a fewe of the foresaid considerations which may serue not onely to stirre vs to be sory for our sinnes and to the hatred thereof but also to allure vs to the loue of vertue and to the feare of God and to the contempt of the world for al this is néedfull to nouices and beginners The Argument He that list to encline his heart to the hatred of sinne and to the dread of God must conuey himselfe into some couert corner and must bend and imploy his minde to the contemplation of the heauenly blisse and the iniquities which abound here in earth CHAP. II. VVHosoeuer then will haue his heart setled hereupon and wil fasten this firmly in his mind must euery day once or twise take a time most quiet conuenient for that purpose and sequestring himselfe into a secret place al other earthly thoughts and vain imaginations being laid apart arming himselfe first with the shield of faith humbly crauing the grace of the holy spirit to assist him in this behalfe assuming to himselfe the minde of that deuout Publican which durst not to lift vp his eyes towards Heauen for the confusion and horrour of his offences Let him repeate some generall confession or else the Psalme Miserere mei deus with so great deuotion as he can deuise and suddenly let him apply his minde to the considerations following that by this meanes he may attain the feare of God through the sorrow the dread and detestation of sinne The Argument In the first cōsideration a christian ought to runne ouer the multitude of the mortal offences that he hath committed CHAP. III. THe first sting that may stirre vs to the woe and hatred of our iniquities is to consider the infinit number of them and to fixe them before our eyes as a terrible troupe of armed Souldiers that the soule may be appalled with so hidcous a spectacle Runne ouer therefore bréefely all the commaundements of God through all the capitall sinnes through all the sences the powers and parts as well of thy body as of thy soule and thou shalt perceiue that there is scarce any commandement which thou hast not transgressed nor any sinne wherein thou haste not sunke nor any sence externall or internall which thou haste not abused nor any benefite which thou haste imployed to that ende for which it was giuen thée But as the Prophet sayth God hath giuen thée his golde and siluer and therewith thou haste serued Baal Looke therefore into thy selfe throughly and viewe the race of thy life passed and thou shalt sée a huge webbe fraught full of deceit of trecherie of pride of lyes of slouth of enuie of couetousnesse of hatred of entisements of blasphemie of malice and of a thousand other manners of mischiefes and thou shalt finde that like a brutish beast in all and euery of these thou haste followed and fulfilled thy sensuall delights without regarde of the lawe of iustice or reason and thou shalt perceiue that thou hast liued as a Gentile or Pagan altogither which neuer knewe God or as though thou so beleeuest that there were no God no death no iudgement no paine no blisse nor any thing else to be thought but euen to be borne and to dye He then that hath liued this many yeares so disorderly shall it not be reason that he imploy the fewe dayes that are remayning of his life in bewayling his former yeares fondly consumed and to féele sensibly the ruine and decay of the powers of his soule and the time that hee might hane gayned in this while which hee shall not get hereafter For time lost can neuer be recouered Throw therefore thy selfe